The Bush Clover
by FreakyKitty13
Summary: Post War, Ino Yamanaka picks up the pieces of her life and moves forward. My take on Ino and how she ended up with Sai. Rating may change on later chapters. Expect some Ino character development, angst, humor and romance. Canon pairings mostly. NaruHina SasuSaku SaiIno ShikaTema ChoKarui. Enjoy xoxo Cover art is by twitter user @ikxxki
1. Chapter 1- Losing

**Author's Note:**

**This is my first time writing a fanfiction, new to the Naruto series so constructive criticism and comments are welcome. Enjoy.  
PS. I love Ino. I hate how everyone keeps portraying her as a bimbo just because she doesn't dress conservatively -_-**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in Naruto, obviously. **

* * *

The blonde kunoichi sighed. She was still in a daze as she looked at the open scroll on her lap.

It was of no use thinking about things she couldn't change but she couldn't help it. Sakura was getting married to Sasuke.

It wasn't exactly a surprise. She knew deep down she never stood a chance. Sasuke never so much as looked at her- try as she might to catch his eye but she was always part of the background. He cared for Sakura, of course he did. They were team mates- they grew up together, heck they went through hell and back together. Sakura forgave him, Sakura fought for him, Sakura bled for him, Sakura would throw her life away if it meant making Sasuke happy.

Would she have done the same?

Ino shook her head. No. She couldn't throw her life away like that. Not when .. no.

Unbidden tears filled her blue eyes.

'_Ino, you are strong willed, and dependable. Chōji and Shikamaru, they are total goof-offs. Keep them in line.' _

'_And, don't let Sakura beat you. In ninjutsu, or romance.'_

"Well.. she beat me Asuma Sensei." She said in a soft almost inaudible voice.

Almost.

"Who beat you?" asked a monotone male voice from above.

"GAH." Ino instantly looked up at the pale boy standing on one of the lower branches of the large tree she was leaning against.

"Who is 'gah'?" Sai asked quirking his head to a side.

"What? Urgh. What are you-?" Ino was momentarily too stunned to come up with a proper answer then quickly rolled up the scroll and stood up.  
"Exactly how long were you standing there?! Didn't anyone teach you a little something called PRIVACY?!" She glared at him. Her cheeks flushed pink in shame as she realized he might've seen her crying.

"Eh. Not really. Plus you're kind of in my spot." He said bluntly before landing next to her, "I like to draw here"

"Well I'm thinking here so find somewhere else to draw!" Ino grabbed his collar and glared menacingly.

"Beauty are you going to kiss me?" Sai asked with a serious dead pan expression.

Ino froze, turned beet red and instantly let him go.

"Ack!What?..I..uh what no umm.. I was trying to…" she stammered.  
"I read in this book that girls bring their face close to you before they kiss you." Sai said seriously as he held up a copy of 'Makeout Paradise'.

Ino opened her mouth to retort but then tightened her grip on the scroll. She didn't have time for this. "Nevermind. I have to go. You win go ahead draw here all you like."

With that she was gone.  
"The female species… Such an enigma" Sai thought out loud.  
_

* * *

Ino shook her head trying to put that awkward bump-in with Sai behind her. On any other day she would have enjoyed it, maybe even flirt a bit but not today. She was still feeling like a complete waste of a person and the fact that someone may have seen her wallowing in her self-pity was even worse.

Where had it all gone wrong? She remembered when she was still a kid; she was considerably more popular than Sakura. How she helped Sakura out of her shell-only to later have her friend cast her aside for a boy.

Ino gritted her teeth. She would never admit it to anyone but the truth was, it stung. She really cherished their friendship- When it came to Sakura, Ino was always there for her. She reached out to her when no one did, stood up for her and fought off her bullies, she made her feel accepted when she could easily have joined the rest in making fun of the pinkette. The day Sakura announced they were rivals and no longer friends, she was too stunned to react but when the girl handed back the red ribbon Ino had given her it was too much. Like a slap across the face. 'Everything she did for her vanished in the blink of an eye, what's friendship in the light of a cute boy's attention anyways?' She thought bitterly.

Ino liked Sasuke too. Of course she did. He was good looking, smart, mysterious, a skilled shinobi- and did she mention good looking? But past that what else did she really know about him? It's not like the brooding Uchiha ever took the time to have an actual conversation with her. No, Sasuke was hot sure; but she knew in her heart it was her snub from Sakura that spurred that "like" to obsessive levels. She wanted to show her up. She wanted to prove to that stupid billboard brow that Ino Yamanaka did not lose.

But she did lose, and it stung just as much as the day when she was a little girl having her best friend tell her she was no longer needed.

She stopped suddenly when she realized she was already at the outskirts of the village. She looked down and saw a cluster of bush clover she was almost about to step on.

"What am I doing? I should be happy for her." Ino told herself, "It's not like Sakura had it easy! She loves him more that I do. She deserves this. I am not going to be bitter. No."

She forced herself to smile as she headed back home.  
_

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**I have plans for a few more chapters if anyone is interested in more. ****  
Reviews would be appreciated. **


	2. Chapter 2- Friends

**Author's Note:  
First off thank you everyone who reviewed **** Really made my day. Really happy that you all liked my take on Ino! Also, I apologize for the abrupt ending to that chapter, it was my first time writing a fanfic and was unsure how long was too long. I'll make sure to make the rest of the chapters end nicer.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or locations in this story. **

**_xXXXXx_**

* * *

The sun colored the sky a brilliant orange by the time Ino made it back to TheYamanaka Flower Shop. She was still letting the news of Sakura's engagement to Sasuke sink in when she noticed the two figures waiting for her inside.

"INO! There you are. We've been looking all over for you! I missed lunch. LUNCH!" whined a forlorn looking Choji Akimichi.  
"I told you she'd come back here eventually didn't I? You're the one who insisted we look for her Choji. Eh what a drag." sighed Shikamaru Nara, he then noticed the scroll in Ino's right hand and his eyes narrowed seriously, "So.. how you holding up?"

Ino blinked at his question, she knew exactly what he meant and that made it very clear why they were here waiting for her. In all honesty the gesture was sweet- they were worried about her ofcourse. With the news of the engagement they assumed Ino would've been heartbroken so they came to check up on her. She really shouldn't be surprised… the Nara and Akimichi clans were always close to the Yamanakas; they shared a bond that went back generations but still she hated how pathetic she must have looked to them. Despite their good intentions, she felt her anger flare. What did they expect that she'd be bawling her eyes out? Or worse that she'd go and do something stupid.

"I'm fine. Heh, why wouldn't I be?" Ino huffed as she flipped back her hair.

"Uh.." Choji exchanged a quick look with Shikamaru and gave a nervous grin, and added while tugging on the leaves of a potted plant "right well I'm starving you got anything to eat?"

"This is a flower shop Choji not a restaurant!" The blonde rolled her eyes, "come on, let's get you something before you start eating the plants."

"I'm not even hun-" Shikamaru stopped and changed his answer midway when Choji shot him a grim glare, he sighed and followed his team mates with a shrug "..fine. I'm going too. What a drag."

_**xXXXXx**_

* * *

While Choji stuffed his face with barbeque and went on and on about how good it was, Shikamaru and Ino shared an awkward silence.

"You know you shouldn't keep it all bottled up Ino." Shikamaru finally commented under his breath.

"What are you talking about Shika?" Ino hissed quietly.

"Would you quit it? We know you. I know you. This..isn't you. You're too quiet. I know you're upset. Just let it out so we can get it over with." The black haired Jonin looked at her seriously.

In the background Choji ordered seconds, but Ino knew he was listening too. When she lifted her eyes to Shikamaru's she knew he wasn't backing off. They were going to keep hounding her for who knows how long until she talked. It was frustrating. She wasn't a child. Not that it stopped her from acting like one. She slapped her hand on the table and squeezed her eyes shut.

"What do you want me to say then? Sakura won I lost. Naruto loved Sakura. Lee loved Sakura. Sasuke loves Sakura. Everyone loves Sakura. Whoop de doo. You happy?" she said through gritted teeth, "I just- urgh. I am not in the mood for a lecture now ok. Just let me be."

Choji quickly started gulping down water so he wouldn't have to speak.

Shikamaru just shook his head and chuckled.  
"Oh so now it's funny?" Ino was getting ready to smash her fist into his face at this point.  
"Man.. it's just. You women are so weird. I thought you'd be sad at your precious Sasuke being married and here you go ranting about Sakura. If I didn't know any better I'd think you're in love with her." Shikamaru shook his head again and added while laughing "now that would be an interesting thought."  
Choji had a violent fit of coughs as he tried to laugh and swallow at the same time.

Ino just grabbed the back of Shikamaru's head and slammed his face on the table.

"For a genius you're a real IDIOT Shika!" She screamed, more because of how ridiculous his notion was rather than actual anger. He always knew how to get her riled up.

Shikamaru rubbed his nose, and watched Ino's features soften. She was acting more like herself and his face was collateral damage of the process- what a drag he thought. He looked over at Choji who also seemed relieved at the turn of events and was now shifting his full attention to his food. He grinned at her sheepishly and sighed.

"Ino.." Shikamaru spoke so softly that if she wasn't right next to him she wouldn't have caught the words, "it's..not true you know… I mean what you said earlier."  
"Hn..?" Ino looked at Shikamaru who now was turning pink around the ears, what was he talking about?

"Not everyone was in love with Sakura… I ... I mean she's nice and all …but never saw her that way.." His face went pinker as he scrunched up his face and then looked out the window at the darkening sky.

"I liked you once you know. Long ago. Way back, we were just kids. You only had eyes for Sasuke though…" Shikamaru muttered as Ino's eyes went wide, "ehh don't look at me like that. Like I said it was really long ago. Don't worry about it."

"Shika I never…I… " Ino was at a loss for words.

"Hey don't .. just let me finish. I care about you Ino. Not like that I mean, you know what I mean okay. So does Cho. Don't ever feel like you're alone or no one loves you..because we do.. A lot. Chin up Yamanaka." Shikamaru gave her shoulder a light friendly punch, "and stop looking at me like that. It was long ago, I barely remember that so don't go acting weird around me!"

Ino couldn't help but stare at her dark haired team mate. She always knew she and Shikamaru had something special, they both knew it on some level. She never thought he actually liked her like that though… she liked him too ofcourse but it wasn't like how it was with Sasuke. It wasn't an all consuming love. It wasn't a romantic love. It was the love you feel for someone very precious to you. It was complicated. She never certainly expected him to have ever harbored a crush for her. It was strange she was so blindsided with getting Sasuke she never saw the boy who was practically next to her. She wondered how it must've felt for Shikamaru to have her constantly talk about Sasuke all the time and was hit with a pang of guilt.  
"Shika..I..I'm so sorry.." Ino stuttered.  
"Oh come on, don't be such a draaag. Ino this is exactly why I didn't want to tell you. It was so long ago. I'm over it. " Shikamaru sighed, "listen to me Ino. You're great girl. You're one of my best friends, we're practically family. Don't let something like that change this." He gestured between the three of them.

"What are you two muttering about eh?" Choji asked through a mouthful of food.

"Oh nothing really. Shika was just telling me how gorgeous he thinks I am." Ino replied smugly, sticking her tongue out at the dark haired ninja letting him know that things between them could never change.

"Funny, I don't remember ever calling you that." Shikamaru muttered, Ino made a face at him making him add "yeah keep making that face blondie and it'll stick. Not that it wouldn't be an improvement heh."

Choji patted his stomach as he looked between his two friends, happy that things were dealt with relatively smoothly.  
**_xXXXXx_**

* * *

As the trio walked out of the restaurant, Ino couldn't help but feel better than she had all day. These two really were like the brothers she never had, for a minute Shikamaru's confession was throwing her in a funk- but now that she thought about it she realized how much he must've wanted to cheer her up for him to reveal such a thing to her. The thought was endearing and it made her feel lucky to have people like that in her life.

"So listen, I'll be heading to Suna tomorrow for a diplomatic mission. It's for a few weeks, nothing dangerous so don't worry." Shikamaru's words brought Ino out of her thoughts.  
"Yeah right." Choji sniggered. Ino elbowed him quickly to hush him up.

"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?" Shikamaru asked frowning.

"Oh nothing at all Shika." Ino said batting her eyes, "I mean.. "diplomatic mission" isn't a very good nickname for your girlfriend." She grinned at Choji who was wearing the same expression.

"Heh..real mature guys." Shikamaru narrowed his eyes but then he sighed, "I really do have a mission though it's such a drag."

"Don't let Temari catch you saying that or we're going to have to "drag" you back in stretcher." The blue eyed kunoichi teased as she hi-fived Choji.

Shikimaru chuckled darkly and quipped, "What can I say? I guess blonde short tempered violent women are my type."

"Why you little-" Ino punched him squarely in the jaw.

**_xXXXXx_**

* * *

Her team mates walked her home and after a brief conversation with her mother she was about to head to her room-

"Ino, I almost forgot!" her mother picked up a small purple scroll from the dinner table, " A pale boy came looking for you in the shop. Told me to give you this."

"Huh? Who? Did he say why?" Ino wasn't expecting any letters or packages.

"Umm not really. He just asked where you were and left this… was gone before I could really say anything else." Her mother gave her an apologetic smile.

"Oh .. ok." Ino took the scroll and opened it.

Her eyes went wide and for a second, but noting her mother's worried expression she recovered quickly.  
"Is everything ok dear?"  
"Yeah..fine..it's nothing." Ino lied without batting an eye, "just some mission details, don't worry about it." She pecked her mother on the cheek and quickly furled up the scroll and went up to her room.

Once inside, she locked her door and crumpled to the ground. The scroll rolled open on the floor.

It was a picture drawn in ink… of her…crying under a tree. It captured her emotions better than a photograph. Just looking at it brought back the feelings of earlier today. It was a beautiful drawing no doubt, but a painful and embarrassing reminder for Ino. Under the skillful drawing was a word in a neat slanting hand, "Sadness"

Sai had seen her. Sai had drawn her.

**_xXXXXx_**

* * *

**Thank you for reading so far. I hope this chapter wasn't too longwinded. Review? Please let me know if you think my story telling pace is too slow, Im quite new to this. Critique, comments and tips are very welcome. Will write more chapters if anyone is interested to read more **


	3. Chapter 3- Sai

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto or the characters within. Although I wish I did, then Neji would still be alive and my imaginary lover. **

_x**XXXXx_**

* * *

5 a.m. was a terrible time to wake up. Who would willingly get up at this unGodly hour unless forced? Ino twisted in bed trying to get comfortable again, but it was no use. She didn't feel sleepy at all anymore, yet she was so tired.

After struggling for a few more minutes she kicked off her covers and sat up. Stretching she looked at the small purple scroll on her bedside table and sighed. She reached for it involuntarily and unrolled it.

Staring back was a perfect sketch of her. She had to admit it was beautiful in a depressing sort of way. Somehow it captured the essence of that vulnerable moment in ink, her eyes went to the crisp slanting writing on the bottom "Sadness".

Ino knew with certainty that Sai had drawn this. _Who else in Konoha would?_ She had always found Sai attractive, I mean who wouldn't? But well… what's a pale imitation (she gave a small smile at the unintended pun) of Sasuke compared to the real thing?

She remembered when she first met him, how he had nicknamed her beautiful. It made her heart flutter in her chest. Then she found out how he was going out nick naming everyone and she just got lucky that he decided to stick to opposites before he nicknamed her. That fact had brought her crashing back to reality. Still, it was better than being nicknamed "Ugly"- as he had chosen for her pink haired friend. She couldn't help but smile a bit at that. Technicalities considered it was a petty victory for her over Sakura but she'd still take that over nothing.

She looked at the picture again and felt all the emotions of that sketched moment slowly creep back. _Why would he show me this?_ _Do you even know what you're doing to me Sai?_

She rolled up the scroll and shook her head. That was a stupid thought, ofcourse Sai didn't. The poor guy was brought up in Root, he's had all emotions and understanding of them stamped out- how would he know anything about how she was feeling.

She forced herself out of bed and put down the scroll. She was being silly, she knew it.

It's been a day since she's found out about Sakura and Sasuke and she still hadn't gone over to congratulate her friend. Ino knew she owed her friend atleast that much. It's not like that relationship was a walk in the park for Sakura, no one handed Sasuke to her, she fought tooth and nail to win his love.

Maybe she should've paid attention to Shikamaru instead of Sasuke. How different would things be then?

She burst out laughing at the insane thought.

_Shikamaru and her together like that? That's just the fifth shinobi war waiting to happen!_

Ino's laughter doubled as she actually considered how weird it would be to end up with her lazy team mate. Not only would it be weird but would totally destroy the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho. I mean would their kids be Inos or Shikas? She knew the answer to that, if the babies were coming out of her they'd damn well be Inos.

_Ino-Ino-Cho._

She was almost breathless with laughter. She held the wall for support as she regained her composure.

By the time she was ready and heading down for breakfast she felt back to her old bubbly self.

_x**XXXXx_**

* * *

Today she was going to go over and congratulate Sakura. Her mind was set. There was no use putting this off and making herself seem even more childish to everyone else.

Yet, somehow she felt her stomach knot at the thought. What would she say? What if she couldn't help sounding bitter or petty? She didn't want to say something stupid… Especially if Sasuke was there too. Wait, he's getting MARRIED to Sakura why would what he thinks still matter to her.

Maybe she wasn't as ready for this as she thought.

"URRRGHHH! Get it together girl!" Ino rubbed her temples and made her way to the Konoha Memorial Stone. Maybe she just needed to clear her head first.

Upon reaching the monument she scanned it briefly and traced her fingers where her father's name was etched then looked at Asuma's just a few names to the right.

"I really want to make you two proud you know." Ino whispered quietly, then took a deep breath before she got too emotional.  
"I can do this. I can handle this. I'm a big girl now!" she said as she clenched her fists and gave herself a small pep talk.

She turned around and was shocked when she almost walked straight into someone behind her.

"Hi." Sai stood 5 inches from her.

"WHAT THE HELL SAI?" Ino half screamed, "When did you get here? You can't sneak up on people like that! This is a shinobi village you're lucky I didn't stab you with a kunai!?"

"I did not sneak up on you, Beauty. I've been looking for you. I called you out a few times but you were talking to yourself," Sai said quite matter of factly.

Ino felt her face flush. Why did this guy have to catch all her embarrassing moments?

"Yeah well sorry I wasn't aware I was being stalked!" Ino fumed.

Sai put up his hands defensively in front of his face, "I am..sorry? I just wanted to ask if you got my present?"

Ino froze in the middle of throwing a punch Sai's way.

Something in her face must've been off.

Sai dropped his hands and lowered his eyes, "It was not good? You did not like it. I see."

"NO. It was a very nice drawing Sai." Ino felt guilty looking at the pale boy, "it's just…Im not sure how to make you understand this…"

"Understand what?" Sai looked at her, confusion making his normally stoic face almost ridiculously cute.

"Look umm… that moment… that you drew… it was a very personal moment for me… it was ummm… private. Inimate even… do you umm understand that?" Ino tried to explain but couldn't really find the right words to describe exactly what Sai did wrong.

"I don't, please explain it." Sai asked earnestly, he was evidently trying really hard to overcome his lack of understanding with emotions and personal relationships. Social etiquette was not part of his Root upbringing.

Ino sighed. She wanted to help him but she also knew she needed to go see Sakura and soon- while she still had it in her to face it.

"Look, I'll help you understand okay, but right now I kinda need to go see Sakura- "

"I'll go with you, you can explain on the way." Sai cut in quickly, giving her that small smile of his that never quite reached his eyes.

_Oh wow he's really determined. _Ino thought. Actually it'd be quite nice to not have to go to Sakura's alone. Atleast with Sai there, she could console herself with the knowledge there was someone else who wasn't exactly flourishing in the field of love. Come to think of it, was Sai even capable of feeling that? She shook her head, that's a loaded question, and she had enough of her own problems to think of. Still it wouldn't hurt to give the guy a break, at least he was trying to better grasp the concept of emotions. The least she could do was explain it a bit for him.

"Ohkay come on then." Ino flashed him a bright smile.  
_x**XXXXx_**

* * *

Sai fell in step beside her, and as the two walked through the streets of Konoha, Ino noticed some villagers looking their way and whispering.

She smirked, they must've cut quite the figure together. She was a lot of things and modest wasn't one of them. The pair of them probably looked amazing together.

She stole a look at Sai, his eyebrows were furrowed and he seemed lost in thought. It was unnerving how much he looked like a certain Uchiha when he made that face, she lowered her eyes and they fell on his bare toned stomach. The way he was walking made a light outline of his abdominal muscles stand out with each step and as her eyes fell on the lines of his pelvic muscles, the ones that made a light V line from around his hips to…

Ino felt her face flush red and shook her head. She looked straight ahead and gave a fake cough, hoping no one saw her checking him out like that.

"So…." Ino started, she had almost forgot why Sai had tagged along in the first place, "as I was saying umm… that drawing was really nice but I really didn't want anyone to see me like that so…"

"But why? I don't understand… you looked beautiful." Sai said bluntly as if he was telling her the sky was blue.

Ino felt the color rise to her cheeks, "oh..um."

_OH my GOD! I'm acting like a school girl! GAH get it together Ino. _She needed to explain this to him properly, he needed to know, but if he kept saying things like that Ino was certain she'd end up mumbling nonsense.

"Sai, listen.." Ino began again this time her tone serious, " have you ever felt sad?"

"Hmm?" Sai stopped walking.

"Like I know you were in Root and all, but umm… do you ever remember crying over something you really had no control over. That feeling of helplessness that even if you had done things differently it would still probably end up the same." Ino said in a small voice.

Ino looked at him and flinched. Sai's face was unreadable… but his eyes…they were different…it was so intense that she had to look away.

"Yes." He said flatly, his mouth made a tight line and he added "I remember."

She hadn't expected him to react like that, but at any rate she had no other ideas on how to explain this.

"Well… that moment.. you probably don't want anyone else to see it do you?" Ino gave him a weak smile.

"No." He said with a surprising amount of softness in his voice, he looked at her then, his onyx eyes looked almost sad and gave a small smile. This time it reached his eyes.  
"I am sorry. I understand. Thank you."

"Hey now. It's alright. Don't mention it." Ino instinctively reached for his hand and gave it a small squeeze before letting go.

"Oh." Sai looked a bit surprised and slowly flexed the fingers of the hand she squeezed, "What was that Beauty?" His face was back to his old blank slate.

Ino gave a small giggle, "One lesson a day Sai. I'll explain some other time."

_x**XXXXx_**

* * *

They walked for a few minutes in silence when Sai suddenly spoke up.  
"Can I ask why you were upset?" Sai seemed to have spent some time trying to word this question right as his eyebrows were furrowed like they usually were when he was thinking.

"Hmn?" Ino was not expecting him to ask, she assumed everyone knew exactly what was bothering her. It wasn't rocket science. After a moment's thought she considered might as well milk the situation so she said, "If I answer your question will you answer mine?"

"Okay.." Sai replied looking very much like a rabbit caught in a snare.

"Okay then me first!" Ino exclaimed, Sai looked like he was going to say something but she cut him off, "Oh don't complain! Haven't you ever heard it's customary to let ladies go first!"

Ino took Sai's lack of reply to that as consent and so she continued, " Why did you draw that picture? Or more specifically why did you give me that picture Sai?"

"That is two questions." Sai pointed out.

"Just answer it." Ino stopped walking and tapped her foot.

Sai shrugged and took out a book, flipped through a few pages and then pointed at a particular section, "It says here, when a friend is upset you should give that friend a present… and as for why I decided to draw you then.. hmm" Sai stopped and furrowed his brows again, "I do not know. I just felt like it I suppose."

"Huh? Oh. Well what you mean you felt like it?" Ino put a hand on her hip, the answer was just about what you'd expect from Sai, but the pale boy merely shrugged again.

"Your turn." He said.

"Oh ok. It's pretty silly so don't laugh. I…umm… it's a little complicated but I was just upset that after chasing Sasuke my whole life, he barely acknowledged me… and now he's off marrying Sakura…" Ino couldn't look Sai in the eye so she stared at her own feet, "I devoted my whole life to looking perfect so Sasuke would notice me, and I bet if you asked him he probably wouldn't be able to tell you what color my eyes are."  
She gave a humorless chuckle and continued, "I mean look at the way I dress?" she gestured to herself, "You'd think catching a guy's attention would be easy…but I guess I just wasn't enough. Not smart enough. Not strong enough. Not..pretty enough-"

She froze as soon as she said it. _She was such an idiot. UGH. She didn't need to say all THAT. A simple oh Sakura's marrying the love of my life would have sufficied?! He must think I'm so pathetic._

"Beauty, that's not your fault." Sai's words brought her out of the ramblings of her mind as she looked straight at him, he had a very serious expression on his face as he continued, "Sasuke is a raging homosexual."

She should have been offended at Sai's words, defended the so called "love of her life." She should have punched Sai. She should have yelled at him till he was cowering away.

"Bwahhahahahhahahah.." Instead she found herself laughing so hard her stomach hurt. "Sai….hahah what the…where did that come from? Hahahhaha"

"Not that there is anything wrong with being gay." Ino added quickly she wasn't a homophobe but the thought of Sasuke being gay was just too funny for her. Plus, she had heard the rumors about Sai (what are the chances of guy who dresses like that being straight?) so didn't want to hurt his feelings.

But seriously the thought of Sasuke being gay- who would he even be with- Naruto? _Oh GOD! It's actually plausible._ This made her laugh even harder.

Sai was still looking at her seriously.

Once her laughter died down, she looked at him and said, "He's marrying Sakura, he's not gay Sai."

"I don't see how marrying Ugly proves that." Sai said with a straight face.

This time Ino actually fell down laughing, "SAI! Hahahaha Oh man! You're so mean….I love it!" she said between laughs.

"She has pink hair." Sai stated furrowing his brows.

"Sakura? Well DUH." Ino couldn't see how it took him that long to notice.

"So.." Sai lifted a finger to his lips, and closed his eyes, like he was carefully considering his next words and then suddenly opened his eyes and said, "If they have children, the next generation of Uchihas will likely have pink hair."

Ino pictured a young brooding Sasuke with Sakura's signature pink hair and suddenly burst into a new fit of laughter. All the dread and onslaught of insecurities that were building up within her since the announcement of her friend's engagement started to melt away. It was crazy how much lighter she felt.

Amidst her laughs she looked at Sai, and without thinking the words spilled out of her, "hahah I could honestly kiss you right now."

Sai felt his cheeks color at her words, and scratched the back of his head with a confused look.

Noticing his face, Ino gave a giggle, "Calm down I'm kidding you idiot."

"Women are most strange." He thought aloud.

"Oh hush, help me up." Ino extended her hand to him and he easily pulled her up.

Pale imitation of Sasuke or not. Sai was definitely a lot more fun to be around. Of that Ino now had no doubt.

"Why are you smiling at me like that Beauty?" Sai asked quirking his head to a side.

Ino just smiled wider, "I dunno, I just felt like it I suppose" she stuck her tongue out repeating his own words from earlier to him, "Okay, hurry up now, at this rate it'll take us a day and a half to get to Sakura's!"

Not that she would mind that, but Ino kept that last thought to herself.

_x**XXXXx_**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I am so proud of myself for updating this right away, I normally procrastinate a lot. Longest chapter I've written thus far, hope it wasn't boring. Reviews pretty please :D  
Also please note Sai's opinions are his and not mine . **


	4. Chapter 4- Flowers

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ino or Sai or any other character mentioned in this story.**

**XXX **

Ino banged on Sakura's front door for what seemed to her like the 100th time, "Oh my GOD! Billboard Brow what's taking you so long?!"

"Perhaps she is not home now?" Sai eyed Ino cautiously as she got increasingly impatient.

Ino was about to knock again when the door swung open so she almost ended up hitting the future Mrs Uchiha.

"Oh..hey Ino." Sakura said in an uncharacteristically soft voice, she looked like a train wreck- her normally shiny pink hair was now a dull shade of its former self and sticking up in odd angles, her eyes had bags under them and looked puffy and red, when she noticed Sai she gave weak smile, "Hello, Sai."

"About time you-" Ino stopped short as she noticed Sakura's downcast face, "…are you okay Sakura?"

"I'm f-fine." Sakura smiled at her but Ino noticed how her shoulders kept shaking.

"You look terrible Ugly." Sai spoke up, "can we come in?"

Ino elbowed Sai roughly "SAI! He didn't mean that Sakura…"  
"Owww. I did mean that. Her face looks terrible like she hasn't slept or showered in ages."

"SHUT UP SAI." Ino stepped on his foot this time.  
Sakura gave a dry laugh, "Wow, that bad huh? Come on in you two."

Stepping inside Ino shot Sai a deadly glare signaling him to stay shut up. Once they were seated Sakura asked if they would like anything to eat or drink, Ino politely declined, Sai had opened his mouth to say something but Ino nudged him with her elbow to shut him up again.

Sakura sat opposite the two of them and tried her best to look like nothing was wrong.

"..I'm sorry for dropping by so suddenly now, I meant to come sooner but got held up by some work.." Ino began, she was unsure how to start but figured might as well get to the point, "Congratulations ! You finally did it eh?"

"…"

"Sakura?... You don't seem very excited… I thought you'd be gloating by now." Ino asked. _Woah, what's going on? _

"It's just…I…" Sakura seemed on the verge of tears.

Ino got up and knelt in front of her bestfriend and grabbed her hand, "Hey… what's wrong? Did something happen? You can tell me Sakura…"

"It's Sasuke… I thought he was finally coming back… and.." The pinkette squeezed her eyes shut.

"Wait, you mean he's not back yet?" Ino was shocked, she assumed when news of the engagement was out that Sasuke had obviously returned, "I thought you guys got engaged?"

Sakura gave a loud sniff, "In a manner of speaking. He said he'd come back… for me…to me.. I only told Kakashi Sensei and the rest of Team 7, and you ofcourse – you're my best friend." She gave Ino a small smile, Ino immediately felt guilty for all the mean things she'd been thinking about Sakura earlier but before she could get lost in her own shame; Sakura continued, "but Naruto, with his big mouth went and told everyone around…which I guess is not something I didn't expect…but the thing is Sasuke…. he barely keeps in touch"

" Then yesterday I finally get a message ….he can't come back now. He still needs more time….to redeem himself he says….. and it's going to take a while…he doesn't know how long… and he'll understand if I can't wait, in fact he doesn't expect me to…" Tears rolled down her face but Sakura made no attempt to wipe them.

"Sakura…" Ino pulled her friend into a hug, "hey…it's okay…he just needs to do this…"

Sakura's shoulders trembled as she spoke, "Don't you see, he's having second thoughts. He doesn't want this..me.. us. . . he doesn't even want me to be waiting for him…I'm so stupid. I should've seen this coming."

Ino hugged her tighter, "You don't know that Sakura. It's Sasuke, you can't make any assumptions. He'll be back. I know he will."

"Perhaps Sasuke is worried that maybe you won't want to wait for him." Sai suddenly spoke.

"Maybe he is worried you are the one having second thoughts so he wanted to let you know he won't think less of you for changing your mind."

Ino was shocked, was Sai actually being…comforting? And not only that…doing a really good job at it too.

"Exactly, see stupid Billboard Brow! Stop jumping to conclusions! If Sasuke didn't want to be with you, I'd already be with him heh!" Ino baited her friend.

"Yeah right Ino pig you wish" Sakura's voice regained some of its old spark.

Ino released her hug and stepped up, "heh PUH LEASE one look at you now Forehead, and Sasuke would be running straight into my arms."

Sakura also stepped up and went nose to nose with Ino, "Not in this lifetime Ino pig!"

Sai who has been furiously scribbling notes all this time looked over them with a very determined look in his eyes, "Ugly." He looked from Sakura and then to Ino "Beauty." His pen poised over his notebook he continued in his serious tone, "will you two kiss now?"

The two girls froze, eyes twitching and without another word punched Sai so hard that lay crumpled on the ground.

XXX

Sai held an ice pack to his jaw while Ino bustled about in Sakura's kitchen.

She had sent the pink haired kunoichi to wash up while she made them all something to eat. Sakura had offered to help but judging by the look on Sai's face Ino assumed her friend had gotten no better at her culinary skills than she was at making "special food pills". Happy that finally Sakura seemed back to her old self Ino found herself humming as she cooked.

"Beauty?"

"Hmm?"

"You and Ugly have a very strange bond." Sai was frowning at her.

Ino giggled, "So I've been told."

"You talk like you hate her but you act like she's your friend…"

"It's…complicated with us…but yes she is my friend." Ino was bent over the table and putting the finishing touches on her plating, "I mean yeah sure she's an annoying idiot but she's my annoying idiot..you know what I mean.. I'd trust her with my life and I know she'd trust me with hers."

"I see…" Sai's voice sounded like he was in deep thought.

**XXXX**

When Sakura returned, the three of them sat down together to eat. Ino was glad to see that Sakura already looked much better- Sakura had always had a fighting spirit. The blonde fidgeted with her fingers as she wondered about all the things Sakura had to go through for Sasuke, she doubted she would be able to put up with it for as long as her pink haired friend.

Ino suddenly realized that everyone at the table was looking at her expectantly.

"Huh? What?" Ino raised her eyebrows.

"Weren't you even listening Ino pig? I asked you about Sai." Sakura tapped her fingers on the table.

"What about him?"

"Since when are you two so chummy… hmmm?" Sakura insinuated as she looked between the pale boy and her best friend.

"He just tagged along when I said I was going to see you." Ino stole a look at Sai who was completely unphased by the question.

"Except for you, I don't really talk any other girls." Sai looked at Sakura and shrugged, " so I thought I'd try to make more female friends."

"Is that so? 'Tagged along" huh?" Sakura smirked at Ino, "I bet you manhandled the poor guy into spending more time with you."

"Heh?! He chose to spend time with me! Bet it's a surprise to you considering the concept of spending time with people outside your own team is alien to you." Ino countered.

"Oh yeah! What's that supposed to mean?" Sakura narrowed her eyes at Ino's implied accusation, "It's not my fault you're always off on missions with Shikamaru and Choji, I have missions too you know and hospital duties to boot! I barely get time to eat!"

"With your cooking skills … you're doing yourself a favor Forehead." Ino flipped her hair back.

"Female communication patterns are markedly different.." Sai was scribbling in his notepad again and mumbling to himself, " they exchange insults as opposed to actually telling each other what's wrong…" he scribbled some more and muttered, "passive aggression..and mutual jealousy…"

The two kunoichis shot him a deathly glare while they cracked their knuckles.

Sai blinked and continued to scribble, "constant threats of violence…"

Sai couldn't finish what he was saying due to the pair of fists that smashed into his face the next second.

"It's oddly satisfying to hit him isn't it?" Sakura grinned.

"Yeah, therapeutic almost!" Ino agreed.

"My face…." Sai moaned from the floor.

XXXX

Ino realized Sakura probably had a lot of sleep to catch up on so she cut her visit short and got up to leave when she was done eating. She was pleasantly surprised when Sai caught up with her a few minutes after she stepped out of the Haruno residence- she expected to part ways with him after the visit.

"Oh… are you headed this way too Sai?" Ino asked curiously.

"No." was his simple reply, "I don't really have anything to do right now. Sakura is tired and Naruto is with Hinata and Kiba somewhere in the Land of Waves... Yamato and Kakashi Sensei are visiting Guy Sensei…please don't make me join them."

The pale boy shuddered and shook his head.

"Er.. well I'm going to help my mom out at the shop. It's not exactly the most exciting of places" Ino gave Sai an apologetic look.

Sai smiled that now familiar fake smile of his.

XXXX

When Ino entered The Yamanka Flower Shop, she found her mother pruning roses.

"Hey mom, this is my friend Sai. Sai this is my mother" Ino gestured dismissively between the two.

"Hello." Sai smiled politely.

"Hello there, we've met haven't we? I'm quite certain you're the boy who left that scroll for Ino yesterday." Her mother looked at Sai scanning him from top to bottom with her intelligent eyes, noting his stomach baring crop top, "Hmm…Well I can see you most certainly dress like her."

Ino felt mortified as the color rose to her cheeks, "MOM!"

"You're touchy Ino. Is he your boyfriend?" She asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Ino just froze.

"Well I suppose I am a boy and her friend, so yes." Sai furrowed his brows, confused at what the fuss was all about.

Ino's mother gave a small laugh, "You are a funny one. Well I have to go water the plants at the back, but I suppose you two wouldn't mind the lone-time." With that she stepped out through a door at the back of the shop.

Ino did not know whether she wanted to faint out of embarrassment or out of the sheer stupidity of the words that Sai just said.

"You idiot, a boyfriend isn't a boy who happens to be a friend." Ino was resisting the urge to face palm.

"It..is not?" Sai looked so confused, Ino couldn't help but sympathize.

She sighed and thought for a moment about the best way to phrase this, " Well first off it starts when two people have a crush on each other…"

"Crush? That sounds violent." Sai cocked his head to a side.

_Oh my God. NO. Don't scream. Keep calm, he can't help it that he's an idiot. It's not his fault. Remember he was in Root… and then he spent most of his time with Naruto and Sakura so it can't helped. Breathe Ino, breathe. _

Ino had to take a deep breath and began again, almost twitching to keep her composure, "Ok..let's put it like this. It starts when two people like each other, and I mean really like-like each other, and then they realize that they want to spend more and more time together, so they decide to tell each other about their feelings. If the two people agree on their feelings the boy becomes a boyfriend and the girl becomes a girlfriend…when the two of them spend time together those are called dates."

"Hmmmm….I don't understand. I like all my friends. Very much. I'm spending time with you now..are we on a date?" Sai's brows furrowed like the always did when he was thinking, Ino felt her face flush red at his words but then he added, "And Naruto is my dearest friend…and I know he considers me a good friend too..is he my..boyf-?"

"NO! URGH! Look erm… you see how Naruto and Hinata are? Naruto. Is. Well sort of. Hinata's. boyfriend!" Ino spoke very slowly like she was speaking to a child or a very slow person.

"Oh." Sai looked like he finally understood, he took out his notebook and started scribbling quickly, "This has been most helpful, thank you."

_I swear if I keep spending time with him he's going to drive me insane. _

"I can't believe you didn't know these things!" Ino shook her head in disbelief, as she put on a green apron and knelt infront of a small potted plant, "Oh! These are budding come see Sai!"

Ino was about to turn around and show him the small white flower buds but realized that Sai was already leaning over her, his face just above her right shoulder, so close that she could feel his breath on her cheek.

_Ok someone missed the class on personal space… _Ino thought, then a small part of her inner Ino added wickedly _ like you mind? _

Her heart hammered in her chest as he leaned even more to get a closer look, he smelled crisp and summery (she wasn't sure of the exact word, is it possible for a person to smell like sunshine? she found herself musing) he smelled like cut grass and fresh ground ink, he was so close she could feel the heat from his body and it was making her stomach do somersaults. It was crazy but all she could think of was turning her head and closing the few inches space between their faces with her lips. She was sure her face was so red that one look at her and Sai would know exactly what was going on in her mind.

"…They are small but lovely." Sai's words brought Ino out of her fantasies and as soon as he said them he stepped away from her and started to look around the shop, "What are these?" He was pointed at pot with a bunch of small light purple flowers.

Ino was disappointed at the loss of his proximity but having him give her a bit of space helped her clear her head and form rational thoughts, she saw the flowers Sai was pointing at and was a bit taken aback but she replied fairly coherently, "Those are called Lespedeza, also known as bush clover."

It was a strange coincidence that out of all the flowers Sai would ask her about those. The flower symbol of the Yamanaka clan was the bush clover. It was also her father's favorite- he would often tell her they remind him of her.

"Oh…they remind me of you." Sai said with a smile.

"What?" Ino blurted.

"They are purple, just like your clothes." Sai pointed out casually.

"Aha. I see." Ino said with a small laugh, "well… it symbolizes a positive love… the bush clover I mean."

"Really? Flowers have meanings? I was never told that." Sai looked closer at the bush clover.

"Ofcourse they do! Flowers are amazing like that! The language of flowers is a beautiful thing! Stuff that would take you hours to explain or express can be communicated with a single flower! Their beauty, fragrance and brilliant colors are enough to make any person smile." Flowers were her passion, she couldn't help but get carried away, "A beautiful bouquet of sweet smelling flowers can be a perfect present for any occasion. For ages, this wonderful gift of nature has been helping us express our emotions and feelings!"

She blushed when she realized she had gone into rant mode, "hahah sorry I guess I got a little too into that."

"Don't apologize that was actually interesting." Sai was scribbling furiously in his notebook.

"…what do you mean 'actually interesting'"

"I mean normally I don't really understand the strange things you do or say, but that was fascinating I had no idea flowers could be used to express emotions." Sai said brightly.

"YOU WHAT?!" Ino seethed, "What do you mean strange things?!"

"…." Sai quickly retreated towards the door.

Ino cracked her knuckles and made a fist.

Sai picked up the warning signs, he opened the door and nervously waved at Ino "oh look it's getting late…I should go…now. Ok . Bye."

With that he side stepped Ino's punch and fled.

"Don't think you're off the hook Sai!" Ino yelled after him but he was long gone.


	5. Chapter 5- Type

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

The past few days were a blur of activity for Ino. She had kept busy by dividing her time equally between helping out at the store and volunteering at the hospital.

You would think that with the end of the war, the hospital would be the last place needing extra help but you'd be wrong. Getting injured is basically part of a ninja's job description; even the best of ninjas rarely came unscathed from missions- so there were always the usual cases of broken bones, imbedded shurikens and kunai gashes. Although sometimes there were more "interesting" cases too… like that nervous looking couple who came in every once in a while with the most suggestive of injuries and the most flimsy of explanations- _you needed no mind-reading Jutsu to see through those. _

Sakura in particular could barely keep a straight face when they walked in yesterday, this time the guy had fractured…well a pretty important part of his anatomy… Ino was so glad she won that round of rock-paper-scissors that decided who would get to sit this one particular case out. Sakura was beyond horrified with the outcome. As embarrassing as the case was on one hand the two friends would have liked nothing better than to know exactly what they had been doing – _I mean what could you possibly do that sends you to the ER all time?!_

Even with grueling hours and heavy workload Ino did enjoy the work at the hospital, it helped her keep practicing and perfecting her medical jutsus and let her spend more time with Sakura. After hectic work at hospital, her alternate day shifts at the shop were so relaxing they were almost therapeutic.

She enjoyed being surrounded by the flowers and plants at The Yamanaka Flower Shop, increasingly though it wasn't just the flowers that held her main focus.

Sai had made it a habit to drop by every now and then. The normally quiet boy would examine each flower arrangement Ino worked on at the time and ask various questions about what they meant and symbolized. Sometimes he would ask so many questions it would drive Ino insane, other times he would simply sit in a corner and sketch for hours at an end without so much as another word after hello. The latter was actually quite frustrating for Ino initially, it made her feel self conscious and it didn't help that he looked so damn good while he drew- his face stoic but his posture and his eyes- Ino would find herself making the most juvenile of mistakes because her focus was on the pale riddle of a man, instead of the work at hand.

She had made her most humiliating miscalculation on the first day Sai had dropped by the store unexpectedly after their visit to Sakura's. She was working on a flower arrangement for a wedding bouquet and after Sai entered she found her fingers getting tangled in themselves. They exchanged a few words after which Sai had made himself comfortable in a corner and started to draw. That is when Ino leaned over the counter more than necessary so that the angle accentuated her curves and put on her sultriest smile- only to realize after an hour of holding that incredibly uncomfortable pose- that Sai was in fact drawing the wedding bouquet she had arranged.

In a way she was glad that Sai was so into his drawing that he was oblivious to her posing, she would never be able to live it down if Sai had figured out what she was doing and either Shikamaru or Sakura learnt of that particular incident.

* * *

To say it was an interesting week would be an understatement but she was glad to have today off.

Things were finally getting back to normal, the village and its inhabitants were finally at a time of peace after far too long.

As Ino walked through the streets of Konoha she noticed a familiar face coming out of Ichiraku's Ramen.

"Well if it isn't our future Hokage?" Ino teased at the grinning blue eyed blonde shinobi.

"Damn right it is! Believe it!" Naruto just grinned wider.

"Woah..did you get a haircut?" Ino suddenly noticed how his hair no longer was the unruly mess it always was, "You look almost like an adult hahahah."

"Awh Come on Ino!" Naruto crossed his arms, but then looked almost nervous when he asked, "It doesn't look stupid or anything right?"

Ino raised an eyebrow, it wasn't like Naruto to really care about what she thought. _How odd. _

"I'm going to visit the Hyuuga household in bit you see…" Naruto scratched the back of his head and sighed, "Man, Hinata's dad is one hard man to impress…"

"Ohhhhh…." Realization dawned on Ino. _Poor guy he's trying really hard for Hinata, those two really are just made for each other_, she thought.

"You look fine Naruto, don't worry too much about it! It's all about how you carry that hair you know! Confidence is key!" she flipped her own gold locks to demonstrate.

"Eh?" Naruto looked skeptically, "I don't think I can exactly flip my hair Ino…" he pointed at his now fairly short hair.

"Well duh! That is not what I meant idiot! Although to be fair, long hair would probably win you brownie points with the Hyuuga men." Ino pointed out with a smirk.

Naruto looked ashen faced as he clutched at his hair, "OH MY GOD! You're right! What have I done?!"

Ino couldn't help but laugh, the haircut may make him look older but he was still the same old Naruto.

"This is not funny INO! This is an emergency! Ahhh"

Naruto was flailing his arms around when Ino grabbed him by the collar and shook him roughly.

"CALM DOWN! You're going to be the next Hokage, who in the world is going to judge you by your hair!?" Ino shook him harder to make her point.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Shikamaru's drawl made Ino drop Naruto like a bag of potatoes.

"SHIKAMARU! You're back!"

Ino ran to her team mate and flung her arms around him. He just stood there awkwardly and shrugged.

"Oh man, now you're choking me Ino."

"Hahha oh shutup! I missed you! I'll have you know Choji hasn't visited me once since you left! Hmpf." Ino complained like a child while Shikamaru tried to extract himself from her arms.

"That's probably because Karui is in Konoha for a diplomatic mission." Shikamaru gave her a knowing look.

"..SO? oh. Woah Woah Woaaah! Hold up! Choji, OUR Choji? And…Karui?... ok we have a lot to catch up on clearly!" Ino had not seen this little plot twist developing.

"Hahah yeah we do… but right now Sai and I need to take you with to see the Hokage. I just got back from a mission and already he's got another lined up. What a drag." Shikamaru sighed.

"Sai?" Ino was confused, she normally did missions with Choji and Shikamaru, occasionally with Kiba and Tenten but never Sai.

Ino was so excited to see Shikamaru after so long that she hadn't noticed that Sai was standing right behind him, the ex-Root member was staring at her with his brows furrowed and at the mention of his name stepped forward.

"Sai!" Naruto had recovered from Ino's assault and was now on his feet, "Man am I glad to see you! I need to go see Hinata's dad soon so I need you to honestly tell me how my hair looks?!"

"It is short."

Ino snorted, even Shikamaru looked amused.

"Yeah I know that but how does it look!?"

"Short and yellow."

"… SAI! DOES IT LOOK GOOD?"

"Nnnn- Yes?" Sai gave a very forced smile.

"AAAAAHHAJSGKA." Naruto just screamed a nonsensical word before he stomped towards the hospital, "I'll just ask Sakura never mind!"

"…."

"It doesn't look that bad you know." Shikamaru mused as he watched Naruto's retreating figure.

"Oh I know. I think it's kind of cute." Ino replied grinning.

"Why didn't you just say so?" Shikamaru lifted a brow.

"Where's the fun in that?" Ino stuck her tongue out at him.

Sai simply looked between the blonde kunoichi and her dark haired team mate.

**XXXX **

* * *

Kakashi Hatake still looked as uncomfortable wearing the Hokage robes as he did on the first day he had to don them. When Shikamaru had entered with Sai and Ino in tow he almost looked relieved to see them- not that you could tell much about his expressions given that more than half is face was usually hidden.

"You three sure took your time."

"We bumped into Naruto while looking for Ino." Shikamaru looked over at Ino and continued, "at any rate, I think for the type of mission you described- this team would be ideally suited."

"Are you sure? I don't think the three of you ever went on missions together before." Then the Hokage looked at Sai, "Well, I know for a fact that he's competent. So if you're okay with this Shikamaru then I'll get the paperwork underway."

Shikamaru did most of the talking and after a while Ino stopped paying attention, Shika would brief her about the details later anyways.

She was pretty excited to be honest, it has been ages since she's been on a mission but the prospect of going on one with Sai made her a smidge nervous.

She stole a glance at Sai and her face colored when she noticed he was looking her way. Even when their eyes met he seemed unphased, Ino looked away quickly but she could still feel his eyes quietly surveying her.

"Ok that's settled then, you will leave tomorrow morning." The Hokage nodded at Shikamaru before dismissing them.

* * *

**XXXX**

At Shikamaru's suggestion they went to Ino's place to discuss the mission details, most of the Yamanaka clan members worked in the Intelligence Division, so when it came to discussing sensitive information there were few safer places.

Ino led them to the kitchen and was rummaging through the fridge when Shikamaru started hashing out the details.

It sounded simple enough. They were to infiltrate some drug lord's home, retrieve some stolen documents and avoid getting killed in the process. So typical. A B-Rank mission that could possibly become A-Rank in the event their target decided to hire ninja of their own as a defense.

Shikamaru's plan was simple, Ino would use her Mind Body Switch Jutsu on the drug lord's 18 year old son and let Sai in the compound while Shikamaru guarded Ino's body. The two of them would nab the documents and while Ino created a distraction in the drug lord's son's body, Sai would sneak out. Sai being once a part of Root, would know enough about espionage so the mission should hardly pose a challenge for him.

Sai remained silent during Shikamaru's explanation, nodding as required when Shikamaru asked him if he understood. He had his usual poker face on but something seemed different, if Ino or Shikamaru paid proper attention to his face they would notice how his jaw was set as his eyes seemed to go back and forth from their squad leader and the blonde.

* * *

**XXXX**

Once done with their mission briefing, Sai promptly left to see Sakura or Naruto presumably. Ino couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, she had thought they were getting closer so he expected him to stick around longer, but he seemed strangely distant again. Not knowing how his mind worked in the least, Ino decided not to dwell too much on it.

Shikamaru however noticed the look on her face when Sai had left and immediately called her out on it.

"What do you mean? I-I'm fine Shika! YOU on the other hand need to tell me about this Karui – Choji business!" Ino changed the topic quickly.

"Heh. There's not much to it. They've spent some time together, and Choji really likes her. Not that he knows he's got a crush on her, mind you. When I asked him about it, he was clearly in denial... but the signs are there if you know where to look." Shikamaru stretched and cracked his neck a little from side to side, "Anyways, don't think I didn't catch on your poor attempt at diverting attention away from my question… so spill it, and make it quick."

Ino rolled her eyes, "Oh yes how did I the ever expect to fool the great Shikamaru Nara."

"Ino don't make this such a drag… just get it over with so I can go home."

"URGH." Ino flipped her hair back dramatically, "Fine."

"Fine what."

"What you think. Yeah."

"Sai?"

"Yeah."

"Really? I mean really? Another dark haired boy with no family and a troubled past? "

Ino snorted, "You're one to talk. Another.." she choose her words carefully now, " temperamental blonde."

"…"

_That last comment was double edged, but oh well, the small victories matter. _

* * *

**XXXX**

Ino was about to walk Shikamaru to her front door as her mother came downstairs, they exchanged pleasantries and a hug before he headed out the door.

"Do you really like him though?" Shikamaru suddenly said turning back.

"I think so. Sort of." Ino didn't need him to specify what he meant, he never had to with her.

"Wow. You sure can pick 'em. I should warn you though from what little time I've spent with the guy, you had a better chance of seducing Neji during the chunnin exams." He gave a small chuckle as he remembered the incident.

"…" Ino smiled at him weakly, "that bad huh?"

A small moment of silence passed between the two out of respect for their fallen comrade, it was the only indication of something off about the light hearted joke.

"Look on the bright side it could be worse." Shikamaru smiled, " at least you don't have a crush on the Kazekage."

Ino giggled, "Wrong hair color, I have a type remember."

Shikamaru had already started walking when he muttered, "Don't we all."

**XXXXX**

* * *

**Author's Note:  
I hope this didn't feel like a filler, I thought I needed to ease into Sai Ino slowly. Ino obviously always liked Sai, Sai on the other hand probably took a while.  
Reviews and follows are always appreciated. If you think you have ideas or comments on how the story is progressing or if there is anything that you think needs change (valid) let me know **


	6. Chapter 6- The Mission part1

Shikamaru and Sai were already waiting when Ino reached the village gates early the following morning. The two dark haired boys were amidst a discussion but stopped short when Ino came within hearing range.

Ino frowned and crossed her arms, "What so hush-hush that you can't tell me Shika!"

"Shikamaru was telling me how troubleso- AH" Sai flinched when Shikamaru stepped on his foot.

"Shika you better not have been complaining about me!" Ino gritted her teeth.

"See what I mean, they're always jumping to conclusions!" Shikamaru looked up at the sky, the sun was barely up but it was clear today was going to be a cloudy day.

Ino glared but Shikamaru simply sighed, "Ah stop looking at me like that… Calm down Ino, we weren't talking about you. Just women in general."

"We need to head out, we have a long road ahead." Sai spoke up.

"Saved by the mission Shika- heh." Ino then looked straight at Sai, "Don't believe a word he says about women Sai. Years of cloud watching has muddled his brain."

"If you're going to be bickering the entire mission, this is going to be such a drag." Shikamaru shook his head and took off.

Sai and Ino followed Shikamaru's lead.

* * *

XXX

It was midday when they reached a large flashy looking gambling house, Shikamaru stopped and gestured at the two to follow him into an alley, then looked seriously at Ino and Sai.

"Ok so here's the plan, we're all going to change into civilian clothes, Ino you've done this sort of thing before so I don't need to go over the basics but Sai remember whatever happens we can't blow our cover." Shikamaru looked up and his eyes narrowed, "we need to get this part done as fast as possible, if the sun goes down it's going to be a lot harder to get my shadow jutsus to be effective."

"Ok, you two go in and wait for me in the men's room, I'll bring him in there, that way I can make sure no bodyguards follow him." Ino was always in-step with Shikamaru's plans, a result of years of working together.

Sai furrowed his brows, "Why would you go to the men's room? You're not a man... right?"

Ino felt color rise to her face, "No of course I'm not! Urgh…"

Shikamaru chuckled, "Listen Sai tell you what, you wait at the bar and keep a close eye on everything, signal me if you see anything out of the ordinary. You make sure to keep an eye on Ino too and if you see any real danger, butt in, make up an excuse and get her out of there. That's our exit plan in the case something goes wrong. Otherwise just watch and stay put. If things go smoothly I'll be waiting for Ino and the guy in the men's room, she'll do the switch and I'll take care of her body. You Sai will discreetly follow Ino till she reaches the target's residence. I'll catch up with you."

"Okay. I still don't understand how Ino will get him in the men's room…" Sai looked quizzically at Ino.

"You just leave that to me, if I said I'll do it, I'll do it okay." Ino was a bit offended at his lack of faith in her ability.

"She knows what she's doing Sai, she's the best kunoichi for this. Now listen, once Ino's infiltrated the compound, we'll wait till midnight. Ino will sneak you in Sai," Shikamaru took out a small scroll and unfurled it, he pointed at the blueprint of the compound layout, "you'll be sneaking in from this window here, the documents are in … here", he pointed to another spot on the scroll, "there's a vault but it's nothing you can't handle."

Sai nodded, "Understood."

"Once you get the documents, let Ino know, she'll create a distraction so you can escape." Shikamaru explained.

"Got it. Then I undo the switch and the three of us head back to report to Konoha. Simples." Ino chirped.

"..Yeah. 'Simples'." Shikamaru rolled his eyes and took off his shirt, "start changing we need to get this done fast."

Ino took her cue and started rummaging in her pack for her kimono. She couldn't help but sneak a glance at Sai who had also started to change. He had his back turned to her and the sight of his pale broad shoulders and back dimples made her almost pass out. _Man that is some body. _

Ino shook her head clear before any lecherous thoughts took over and turned around to get to changing herself.

The boys dressed in yukatas as that was what most of the people in this town were wearing and it was easy to conceal weapons easily in it, Shikamaru's was dark green while Sai's was indigo, their headbands were obviously off. Ino herself was wearing a blue kimono with white printed flowers and dark red borders that she knew would bring out her eyes, she wore it so that it hung low and off her shoulders and she knew if required the slit up the front would also allow her to showcase her long toned legs.

She was putting her hair up in an elegant knot when Shikamaru turned around and gave a low whistle.

"You're pulling out all the stops for this one eh Yamanaka?" Shikamaru commented as Ino stuck a floral hair ornament in her golden locks.

Ino finished doing her hair and grinned, "A kunoichi leaves no room for failure…. So tell me about the target."

Shikamaru took out a photo and handed it to Ino, "Kazuhiko Higuichi, 18 years old, brown hair, gold eyes, only son of Kazuo Higuichi a well known drug lord in the area. The guy's known to be a regular here." He motioned towards the gambling house, then he looked at Ino "a bit of a spoiled brat and rumor has it likes his women blonde."

Ino snorted, "This is going to be too easy."

She looked at the photo and was a little pleased to see the guy was pretty cute, in a stuck-up kind of way.

"We should get going."

She looked up to see Sai and Shikamaru heading inside. Slightly disappointed that despite her attempt to look extra desirable Sai had not said a single word to her, let alone a compliment.

_Nevermind him. I need to concentrate on the mission. _

**XXXX**

* * *

This Kazuhiko Higuichi must be a pretty big deal since the first thing that Ino saw when she walked in was the amount of burly bodyguards flanking him. They didn't look like ninja but they weren't run of the mill thugs either, each carried a sheathed sword on their hips. The golden eyed Higuichi heir was immersed in a game involving dice and cards with three other men who looked atleast twice his age.

Ino noted Sai sitting at the bar sketching and couldn't see Shikamaru anywhere so he must already be in place. Bracing herself she took a few short graceful steps and made her way in.

She was pleased to hear a soft murmur rise as she stepped in and held back a smirk as men turned and craned their necks to get a better look at her. She noticed however that Sai was still sketching, trying not to let that phase her; she kept walking gracefully and sat down at an empty table in the corner.

Within seconds she was approached by a middle aged man who offered to buy her a drink but she politely declined. This was soon followed by two more men, one of whom Ino was sure was one of Higuichi's bodyguards.

After several failed suitors who were not her intended target. Ino began to get impatient. She shifted her position so that she momentarily revealed a scandalous amount of leg for a few seconds. You could almost feel the testosterone spike in the room.

She looked over at the table the Higuichi heir was gambling at and was shocked to see him looking straight at her with a cold and calculating look in his eyes.

She then knew exactly the kind of guy he was. He wasn't going to be making a move, he expected her to make one. In this town people probably bent over backwards to please him, he didn't have to ask for things, things were given to him. Once she figured that out she knew exactly what buttons to press.

She got up from her table and gracefully walked up to his table and…then past it…towards the bar. She had to fight to hold back a snicker when she noticed the flabbergasted look on his face from the corner of her eye.

Ino lowered herself to the empty seat next to Sai and leaned over to whisper in his ear, "I need you to play along Sai."

"Hn?" Sai looked up confused but before he could say anything else Ino started to giggle loudly.

"Oh you're sooo funny." She cooed just loud enough for those over at the Higuichi table to hear, she batted her eyes prettily at Sai.

"Beauty..? I… what do I do?" Sai spoke in a low voice, the confusion was evident in his face.

Ino couldn't help but notice how positively adorable he looked, but she caught herself quickly before losing focus. She was on a mission, her personal life would have to take a back seat.

"Don't do anything, just smile and I'll do the rest." Ino whispered reassuringly and then shifted her position so that the bottom of her kimono flared just enough to offer glimpses of her long shapely legs.

Sai nodded and put away his sketch book and gave her his usual small smile.

"You want me to what?" she giggled she could feel like eyes of the men in the room closely watching her, "Oh ok let's see then." Ino then shyly reached over and ran her fingers through his dark hair. She felt his shoulders stiffen at her touch and for a second his eyes darkened but it was gone as soon as it came. His hair was surprisingly soft to the touch and she was almost tempted to throw the mission off-course and take him to the men's room instead. _Get a grip Yamanaka. Now is not the time to for my mind turn into a one of those poorly written smut books Kakashi Sensei reads. _

"He's coming." Sai's whisper brought Ino back to reality.

Ino felt a small tap on her shoulder, she turned around to see Kazuhiko Higuichi wearing what Ino could only describe as the face she and Sakura used to make when they initially met Sasuke Uchiha.

"I was wondering if I could interest you to come sit with me miss….?" His voice had a lilting quality that when paired with his sharp gold eyes made a generous combination.

"Sakura… and no I don't think I'll be interested in sitting with you." Ino glanced at his table, the lie about her name came almost naturally, "I can almost feel your.. "friends" undressing me with their eyes from here…you however can come sit here with me if you so wish." She ended with a flirty smile.

Kazuhiko considered her words for a second before sitting down next to her.

**XXXXX**

* * *

Within minutes Ino's not-so-subtle flirting had Kazuhiko reduced to a mumbling pre teen. So much so that he had ordered over half the menu in an effort to please her.  
When Ino had leaned over to suggest she accompany him to the men's room to show her appreciation, the Higuichi looked like he won the lottery.

He immediately motioned his men to wait by his table and guided Ino towards the men's room, his hand resting on the small of her back. No one stopped them, he was the Higuichi heir he did what he wanted, where he wanted.

Ino noticed Sai watching the two of them quietly.

The moment they entered the restroom, Kazuhiko locked the door behind them. He had a feral look in his eyes when he approached her.

Ino gave a small giggle, "Patience my sweet."

"I've exercised enough of that today Sakura." He made a move to grab her but froze mid way, "What the-?"

"Sakura? heh she'll throw a fit when she hears this... You took longer than expected." Shikamaru was leaning against one of the stalls.

Kazuhiko looked like he was going to scream but no words came out as shadows started to engulf him.

"Ey Shika, don't use the strangle jutsu, we need him alive." Ino hissed.

"I'm just keeping him quiet don't worry. Now hurry." Shikamaru looked outside, the sun was going to set soon.

Ino braced herself against the wall and used her mind transfer jutsu, her body crumpled to the floor.

**XXXX**

* * *

Being in Kazuhiko Higuichi's head and seeing exactly what he had in mind for her made Ino want to take several showers. _Man this guy is an A class perv. _

She walked out of the bathroom in Kazuhiko's body and strode up to one of his bodyguards who Ino discovered from probing Kazuhiko's mind was named Kui.

"Kui, we're leaving tell the others." She said in his lilting voice.

"What about the woman? Her too?" Kui looked at the men's room door.

"She's ..fixing herself. Leave her be, I'm done."

"Yes sir."

**XXXX**

* * *

Everything was going according to plan. At midnight Ino used her justu to telepathically communicate with Shikamaru and he instructed her on how to get Sai inside.

As soon as she had Sai inside the compound the pale boy disappeared without a single word. Ino frowned and started to prepare the diversion on the other side of the compound to keep the staff occupied so that Sai could escape without too much commotion.

Before long an ink butterfly landed in front of her, this was Sai's signal. She took a deep breath and then lit a match and set what appeared to be a guest bedroom on fire. Once the flames were fanned and sufficiently big she quickly screamed.

"FIRE!" Kazuhiko's voice rang out through the house.

It caused an uproar people were running here and there and suddenly alarms were going off some for the fire, some for whatever Sai had stolen.

Ino released her mind transfer jutsu and felt Kazuhiko's body crumple, the last thing she was were bodyguards rushing to their boss's son.

**XXXX**

* * *

It was dark when Ino opened her eyes. Shikamaru had his back to her but she could tell from his stance…something was wrong.

"About time you woke up." Shikamaru muttered darkly, "We have trouble. Two ninjas, the sun's down so I can't effectively use my shadow jutsus and these guys are good."

Ino's body was sore but she forced herself to get up, using the mind transfer jutsu for so long had taken a toll on her body and chakra.

"Ino look out!" Shikamaru pushed Ino aside and used his kunai to deflect a shuriken. He then crouched low and leapt into the trees.

Ino quickly scanned the surroundings; they were in the woods behind the compound she realized. She took a deep breath to calm herself and adjusted her kimono- pulling the collars up she tightened the datejime around her waist.

"Such a pretty little thing it would almost be a shame to kill you."

Ino looked up to see a shift in the shadows and moved just in time to dodge a kunai.

She didn't get time to draw her own before a pair of hands grabbed her throat from behind and lifted her off her feet.

She clawed at the hands but it was of no use. He was too strong.

"Try not to fight it, your friend is likely dead might as well give up. If you beg I might just let you live." The man holding her tightened his grip on her throat.

"S-Shika is NOT dead." Ino choked out the words as her vision began to blur.

"Ohhh did I hit a nerve? Was he your little boyfriend? Are you going to cry little girl? He's not going to come rescue you. No one is." The man lifted Ino higher and she felt her chest tighten for the lack of oxygen.

With her last ounce of strength Ino raised her right foot and jammed her heel backward into the man's groin.

Her assailant howled in pain and let go of her.

Ino immediately ran as fast as she could deeper into the woods, there was no way she could take him head-on at her current state.

When she finally stopped to catch her breath she saw a clearing up ahead. Someone was there and from the way that person was clutching their sides, he was clearly injured. As the moonlight flitted through the clouds she recognized the spiky ponytail.

"Shikamaru!" She rushed to her team mate, "What happened to you? Let me see!"

"Ino, I'll be ok. I got him too, but he's still out there. Don't let your guard down." Shikamaru was panting hard.

The blonde kunoichi nodded, she took out a kunai and strained her senses for any sign of the enemy ninja.

"Ohhoho, it's just a little girl." A snide voice cut in through the air.

"Watch yourself with that one, she kicks heh." The second voice Ino recognized as the one belonging to the guy from earlier who tried to choke her.

"Fiesty. I like that… your boyfriend can't protect you little girl. Run along now and let us men handle things." The snide voice mocked.

Ino gritted her teeth and looked over at Shikamaru, he could still fight but with a wound like that he would be risking making it worse.

The two ninja came into view, one was large and built like a bear and the other lean but with a sword on his hip. Ino felt insulted that they underestimated her so much that they decided to come out of hiding, well she wasn't exactly dressed anything like a ninja so she couldn't really blame them.

_Well big mistake assholes. _

"Ino… I know what you're thinking …don't.. you don't have enough chakra." Shikamaru said quietly.

"Shut it. I got this. You don't have to protect me Shika." Ino took a deep breath.

"Mind Destruction Jutsu" She whispered as she made the handsigns.

"What the…" The big guy barely had time to register what was happening before his body started to attacking his comrade.

Ino felt her body shake as she expended more chakra.

"Matsuba what are you doing." Hissed the lean ninja while dodging the attacks.

"Yama I'm not doing this." Matsuba screamed as his comrade slashed at his hand with a kunai.

The ninja named Yama dodged all the attacks and kicked Matsuba squarely in the chest.

"I swear Yama! I can't control my movements." Matsuba pleaded before he passed out.

Yama looked straight at Ino, "It's you."

" You little bitch, I'll slice you in half!"

Yama suddenly drew his sword and launched himself at Ino.

Her body was already shot from using too much chakra and she knew she wouldn't be able to dodge. She quickly released her jutsu and lifted up her kunai to defend herself.

The clash of metal on metal rang through the air.

Shikamaru was crouched protectively in front of her but his wasn't the blade that was now holding back Yama's.

Sai's pale skin shone in the moonlight, his double edged tanto easily held back Yama's long sword.

Ino was in awe as she watched the pale boy fight, his face was no longer an unreadable blank slate, it had one emotion clearly written all over it- Rage. His eyes- Ino had never seen such anger in someone's eyes in her life.

That was the last thought she remembered before she passed out, she could hear Shikamaru's voice shouting her name in a distance but then everything went black.

**XXXX**

* * *

**Author's Note:  
Long chapter sorry, I am terrible at writing these sort of things. I don't think I'll write in any more missions on this fic lol Hope it wasn't too annoying to read though also don't laugh at my Japanese made up names lol  
Reviews please, they keep me driven xoxo **


	7. Chapter 7- The Mission Part2

**Disclaimer: Don't own Ino or anyone else. **

**Quicknote: thoughts are in_ italics_. They always have been throughout this fic but I realize I never quite outright clarified it. So here, tada clarified.**

* * *

When Ino opened her eyes everything was quiet except for the rustling of leaves overhead and the call of a few distant birds. The sun was still in the process of rising. Light flitted through the trees in pale beams patterning the forest floor in snatches of shadow and light, she realized she was lying on her back and shifted to her side, her head buzzed uncomfortably like a bad hangover, as her eyes came into focus she stared at the spot next to her.

Shikamaru was slumped against the trunk of a large tree, his eyes were closed but Ino could tell he wasn't asleep. Her eyes then fell on gash on his side, it was a shallow cut but the sight of his wound made her snap back to reality as the events of earlier came crashing back.

She jumped to her fighting stance only to be hit with a wave of nausea. As her knees began to buckle she felt a pair of arms brace her.

"Easy tiger." Shikamaru helped her stand up and then let go, "Fight's over, you've been out for a few hours."

"Oh…are they..?" her voice felt raspy and dry, pain immediately shot through her throat. She instinctively touched her neck and winced, it felt incredibly tender.

"Taken cared of don't worry. Man, the bruises look even worse in daylight, I can't believe that lowlife did that to you." Shikamaru clenched his fists, "I should have been there…"

"It's … not your fault.. I got caught off guard." Ino smiled at him weakly, then she gestured towards his side, "Let me take a look at that."

"Nah, it's just a flesh wound it'll heal on its own don't worry." Shikamaru waved his hand dismissively.

Ino gave him one of her death glares, "I feel fine, I'm a medical-nin, this is my job!"

Shikamaru realized it was no use arguing with her when she got this way, and so he gave in. She made quick work of his gash and in minutes it was reduced to a thin hairline scar.

"Thanks." Shikamaru poked the newly healed flesh, "Good as new."

"Where's Sai?" Ino realized she didn't see the pale boy anywhere.

"You should have seen it Ino. I have never seen anyone fight like that." Shikamaru shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

Shikamaru shook his head again, "I don't even know how to begin explaining it."

"Is he alright?" Ino spoke softly. _Please let him be okay. _

"Oh he's fine it's the other guys you should be worried about. The guy wasn't in Anbu for nothing. He's scouting ahead now."

Ino felt a huge weight lift off her chest, "He's ok then. That's a relief."

"Wellll… he did get his hand all cut up, didn't really let me get a close look at it though."

"H-how?" Ino knew Sai's loved to draw he would never let anything happen to his hands.

"Yeah that's kind of our fault actually… when you passed out and I yelled while trying to catch your fall, Sai got distracted and the guy swung at him…he blocked with his palm…"

"I need to heal it fast before it does any permanent damage Shika." If something happened to Sai's hands because of her, she would never forgive herself.

Shikamaru nodded, "I'll go tell him you're up, the sun's out anyways so I can handle scouting."

With that he leapt into the trees.

**XXXX**

Ino was rummaging through the bags she found next to the tree trunk Shikamaru was resting against earlier. After a few minutes of sorting through them she finally found the pouch with all her medical supplies, she started taking out various salves and foodpills, during her search she found her clothes and was considering changing out of the bothersome kimono, when she heard the rustling of leaves.

She looked behind to find Sai heading towards her, he had wrapped bandages all over his left hand but they looked speckled with blood.

Ino immediately felt a wave of guilt wash over her. _This is all my fault._

"Sai..I-I'm so sorry."

"Why?" Sai looked confused.

"Your hand, Shikamaru told me what happened." She clenched her fists, she blinked back the tears that were welling up in her eyes, she was not going to cry. Not in front of him. Not again. "No matter how hard I try I end up being a burden."

Sai looked at her and suddenly reached into his pocket and brought out a small book, flipping through a few pages he nodded and suddenly grabbed Ino in what could only be described as a head lock.

"Owww… SAI! What are you doing?!" Ino tried to twist out of the uncomfortable position but Sai held fast.

"I am comforting you." Sai said with a serious nod, noticing her wince in pain as the pressure increased on her already bruised neck, he immediately let go of Ino. "I'm doing it wrong aren't I?"

Ino suppressed a giggle, he was so clueless it was downright adorable. _How does he make me laugh even when I feel so bad about myself?_

"Was that…supposed to be a hug?" Ino said rubbing her neck.

Sai nodded solemnly.

Ino sighed, "Well I suppose it's the thought that counts." She then reached for his bandaged hand, "Let me take care of that."

Sai watched quietly as Ino peeled back the bandages and used her Mystical Palm Technique to speed up his natural healing.

"Ok the wound isn't as bad as I thought. This might sting a bit." Ino carefully applied a green salve to his newly healed palm then wrapped it up in some fresh bandages, "That should do it."

She looked up and gave him a reassuring smile.  
"Thank you." Sai smiled back at her, that same small smile of his.

But this time it made her heart flutter in her chest, she noticed for the first time how close they were standing. She could count his eyelashes if she wanted to. The black hair, those intense dark eyes contrasted with his pale skin, from this close he looked like a flawless being sculpted from marble. She found herself staring at the curve of his lips, they looked like they were made to be kissed. _By me. _ She felt a blush creeping up her face.

"Beauty?" Sai's voice made her blink several times before she realized not only had she been staring at the boy all this while but she was still holding his hand and rubbing circles on his palm with her thumb.

"Uhh… sorry I phased out!" She quickly let go of his hand and reluctantly stepped back, "Were you saying something?"

_Oh my God! I'm being a total weirdo. _

"Does it still hurt?" Sai spoke softly as he grazed a finger over her bruised neck.

Ino's body gave an involuntary shiver.

_OH GOD. Ohhhh GOD. OH MY GOD. _

"Mkjasdha kissmenow asjdhkasd" Ino mumbled incoherently.

"I do not understand?" Sai furrowed his brows.

A small part of her egged her on. _Just kiss the idiot now! _InnerIno hissed. She went red and quickly shook her head to get a grip on herself.

"I-It isn't as bad as it looks, just s-sore really." Ino stuttered.

_I'm officially worse than Hinata now. _

"I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner." Their eyes met and Ino could see a mere fraction of the anger of last night reflected in them for a second and then it was gone.

"That's what Shikamaru said too." Ino gritted her teeth, his concern though rather touching felt condescending to her. She hated feeling like a damsel in distress, like she was some helpless little girl who always needed boys to save her.

Sai frowned and a moment of awkward silence passed.

"Do you like Shikamaru?"

"Huh?" That was not at all what she was expecting him to say.

"You tend to always smile around him. I read once when someone is with the person they like that is what they do. You are happiest when he is near you." Sai's eyes watched her intensely.

"I do like Shika…but not in the way you think Sai… Shikamaru… he's always been there for me. We grew up together, our fathers grew up together…and they died together.." her voice went soft, "He's the only person who knows exactly how I feel. We may not be related by blood, but he is like the brother I never had. He is precious to me."

"Brother…" Sai's stoic expression fell away, emotion crept into his voice as he continued, "I had one like that too when I was in Root… his name was Shin….. he is the one who gave me my sketchbook."

He didn't say anything else, he didn't need to. His eyes told Ino everything she needed to know. He was hurting, just like Shikamaru was, just like she was. He knew what it was like to lose someone precious.

"I have never talked to anyone else about Shin before-" Sai spoke softly again.

Without really thinking she found herself wrapping her arms around him, he did not hug her back, he did not move away, he simply stood there. Ino listened to the steady rhythm of his heart.

"Is this a hug?"

"Mhmm."

"It… is nice."

"Mhmm."

"Your chest is soft."

Ino's hand landed across Sai's face before he had time to register.

"WE WERE HAVING A MOMENT SAI! GAH!" Ino's face was red as she stomped indignantly before stalking off towards the bags.

"What did I say wrong?" Sai muttered mostly to himself while rubbing his cheek, "Women are so difficult to understand."

"I can still HEAR you from here you know!" Ino glared at him angrily.

**XXXX**

* * *

When Ino and Sai caught up with Shikamaru, the boys gave Ino some privacy to change out of the kimono. She was thankful for this since the fight last night had left it worse for wear and it wasn't the most comfortable of garments to wear to begin with.

As she changed she thought back to her conversation with Sai.

"_I have never talked to anyone else about Shin before-"_

This Shin person must have been really important to him, she thought back to their hug and wondered if it meant anything to him. She could never really tell what Sai thought of anything. He was so different from everyone else she knew. He was so different from her.

She was pulling her hair back into a high ponytail when she heard Shikamaru call out, "Hurry up Ino. We're starving."

"Oh pipe down I'm done!" Ino huffed as she strode past.

"Heh women," Shikamaru gave Sai a knowing expression, "They're such a drag."

"I'll take your word for it." Sai smiled.

* * *

**XXXX**

They had breakfast in a small tea hut outside town. Sai ate quietly while Ino bickered with Shikamaru as usual.

The walk back to Konoha was fairly uneventful, the weather was nice and they made it to the village gates in fairly good time.

As squad leader Shikamaru needed to report back to the Hokage, Ino opted to go home and check up on her mother, Sai surprisingly asked to join her.

"I don't really have anywhere else I need to be right now." Sai said simply as he followed her.

They walked mostly in silence but it wasn't an awkward one, it strangely peaceful. There was no real need to fill it with small talk. _That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence._

* * *

**Author's Note:  
Do you think things are progressing way too slowly between the two? ._. Short chapter because I have exams up, also I'm considering whether or not I should change the rating or keep this to "T". Comments on how you'd like this fic to proceed would be cool. KThanxBai. **


	8. Chapter 8- Bad to worse

**Author's Note: **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. **

**Still middle of exam week. Severe writer's block, let me know if there are any grammar errors or story inconsistencies, as I didn't proof read this.**

* * *

_She never remembered the sounds. Everything was strangely muted. Noiseless. It always was- an eerie silence that was almost deafening. But where her ears put in their form of denial her eyes saw it all, remembered it all._

_She watched it blast through the air and hit the ground in a pillar of fire. _

_Fire. It still licked at the trees, the orange glow lit up the night sky._

_Smoke. It still hung in the air making eyes water and throats burn. _

_Dust. Dirt. The smell of burning hair and flesh. _

_Rubble. It was all that was left now._

_Long ash-blonde pony tail. Blue green eyes that would crinkle at the corners with every smile. A smile she would never see again. _

Ino woke up trembling. These dreams weren't the first of their kind and she knew this time would be far from the last, but every single time it felt the same. She took deep breaths to stop her body from shaking. Eventually she composed herself and sat up still for a long minute. And then when it seemed the worst was over she remembered his laugh and broke down. Even though she knew no one was watching she hid her face in her hands and wept quietly, her fragile frame wracked with wave after wave of heavy silent sobs.

_**Rule #25. "A shinobi must never show their tears."**_

XXXX

* * *

Hospital duty felt more tedious than normal. Sakura was helping Lady Tsunade out with a complicated spinal surgery so Ino was left with all the minor cases for the day. It was simple work, but boring. She was wrapping up some final paper work when her pink haired friend slumped down on the chair next to her.

"My neck is killing me." Sakura complained as she rolled her shoulders.

"How'd it go?" Ino shoved her papers aside and stifled a yawn.

"Oh the usual, I can do this unsupervised but Lady Tsunade insisted that she be there."

"Ah. Well spinal injuries are pretty serious, can't blame her for being..." Ino stifled another yawn, "..careful."

"Rough night?" Sakura eyed her best friend.

Ino shrugged, "I had to sort the new shipment of flowers, took longer than I thought." The lie came to her easily.

"Hm." Sakura's expression indicated she knew there was more to it than that, but she chose not to press the matter since she quickly added, "Wanna grab something to eat? Shift's over in a few more minutes, we barely got to talk yesterday when you came in with those nasty bruises on your neck."

Ino's hand went to her neck self consciously, "Sounds good. Just no ramen ok! I'm on a diet."

Sakura rolled her eyes and pulled her friend towards the door.

XXX

* * *

The two medical nins arrived at a small restaurant and chose a table near the back. Ino scoffed as Sakura ordered fish and two desserts, she herself ordered a salad with lots of cherry tomatoes.

Ino was half way through telling Sakura about her last mission when Sakura stopped her midway.

"Wait. Hold up. You hugged Sai?" Sakura cocked her brow, "Ino, don't toy with him."

"I wasn't." Ino stated flatly, her eyes narrowing, "It just felt like it was the right thing to do at the time."

"Hnn."

"Forehead stop looking at me like I tainted him or something. It was just a hug." _Unfortunately. _

Sakura just grunted.

_Gosh…she's like an over protective mother. _Ino smirked.

"He's trying really hard to understand … well everything. Don't take advantage of that." Sakura looked at her friend seriously.

"What do you mean take 'advantage of that'?" Ino's temper was starting to flare.

"You know what I mean. I know he looks like Sasuke-"

"Go on finish that sentence." Ino's voice was dangerously low, the calm before the storm.

Sakura bit her lip as if looking for the right words.

Ino gritted her teeth, and instead of the scathing reply that was half formed in her head she got up suddenly, feeling insulted at what her friend was implying the blonde took out her wallet and paid her bill "I'm not hungry anymore. I'll see you around Forehead."

"Ino! Wait! Listen."

She did not wait. She did not listen.

She was halfway to The Yamanaka Flower Shop, when she saw Sai and Naruto coming her way.

"Hello Beau-"

She didn't even let him finish his usual greeting as she shoved roughly past him without a second look.

Pride was a strange thing.

XXXX

* * *

Ino was in a foul mood, her day was getting from bad to worse, she had already snapped at two customers and was about to snap at a third when her mother decided to take over and send her to tend to some plants in the back garden.

The trowel she was using to plant the seedlings shook as she thought of Sakura's words.

"You plan on murdering someone?" a bored drawl made her look up.

Shikamaru was leaning against her fence with Choji smiling sheepishly behind him.

"Would that I could." Ino stabbed at the ground, "That pink haired little-"

"Ah no I thought you and Sakura were getting along." Choji shook his head as he tried to pry the trowel from her grip, "Let's get rid of that before you murder these poor plants."

"She thinks I'm taking advantage of Sai!" Ino swatted away Choji's hand and pointed at him with the trowel, "That banshee accused me of toying with him! And that too just because she's going to marry Sasuke." She jabbed her trowel against a terrified looking Choji's chest to make her point.

"C-Calm down Ino." Choji gulped as he eyed the trowel's edge which was now dangerously close to his throat.

"Don't you 'calm down Ino' me!?" She huffed as she swoshed around the trowel barely missing the Akimichi's face.

"Ino… before you kill Choji… you might wanna put that down." Shikamaru gestured to her hand.

Ino looked between Choji and the trowel in her hand, realization dawning she dropped it immediately, "Oh…opps. Sorry Cho."

"I-It's cool Ino." Choji looked visibly relieved, he added "As for the Sakura thing, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding; don't let it get to you."

Ino shot Choji a warning glare.

"Ahhh this is such a drag. I'm not even going to bother getting involved." Shikamaru looked up at the sky, the sun was in the process of setting so the sky was a brilliant orange, "It's getting late we were thinking of visiting Kurenai and Mirai. You coming?"

The blonde weighed her options, in the end her hankering to see Mirai's cute little face won out.

"Count me in."

XXXX

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Kurenai had always gotten along well with Ino, the two felt a bond perhaps from the similar way people perceived them. Unlike most women in their line of work who opted to be tough and look tough, they embraced their femininity and were not afraid to appear fragile and beautiful often resulting in them being thought of as mere eye candy by many, you would think they would find this offensive but beauty is part of a kunoichi's weapon arsenal so they took the misjudgments of their abilities as compliments. Not that it was always easy but such is life.

Ino sat talking with Kurenai about mundane things, while Choji and Shikamaru played with a gurgling Mirai. The toddler was starting to crawl and would plop back down every few minutes or so, it was endearing to watch.

"What's on your mind?"

Kurenai asked as Ino phased out in the middle of their conversation.

"Umm.." The blonde considered honestly answering that question but decided against it, "It's nothing."

"Is it Sasuke?"

In stunned silence, Ino looked first at own hands which were clenched in tights fists, then at her team mates who still seemed to be engrossed with Mirai , and finally at Kurenai. She was a little stunned but mostly angry and humiliated; did everyone think her life revolved around Sasuke Uchiha?

"No." Her reply was curt but it was the best she could do given how she was wrestling with herself to not shout out a string of profanities.

"You can tell me Ino. It's nothing to be ashamed of." The older woman coaxed.

"I'm fine. There's more to my life than just Sasuke. I've lost my mentor. I've lost my father. I think I can handle losing a childhood crush." The flash of hurt on Kurenai's face made Ino regret the words as soon as they were out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound like that." Ino felt the guilt wash over her, "I've been having a bad day and I just- I'm so sorry."

"It's alright." Kurenai reached for the younger kunoichi's hand and gave it a squeeze, "It's alright."

"I just feel like… everyone defines me as the girl who chased Sasuke." Ino spoke quietly, "I can't blame them. That's all I did, for a very long time…but everything I do now still gets traced back to him somehow… and it's just a constant reminder of how royally I failed. I can count the number of times Sasuke has talked to me on one hand and still have fingers to spare." She chuckled dryly, "In the end I guess I just didn't try as hard as Sakura."

"There is a difference between giving up and deciding you've had enough. No girl should ever forget that she doesn't need someone who doesn't need her." Kurenai gave her a knowing look.

"I doubt he needs me." Ino thought of Sai and how he saved her during her last mission.

"We're not talking about Sasuke anymore are we?"

"No." Blue eyes met red ones.

"Does he know you like him?"

"No."

"Ino! I expect this from Hinata but you? You're much more forward than this usually!" The brunette looked shocked.

"Even if I did tell him, I don't think he's even capable of understanding what it means." Ino gave an exasperated sigh.

"You'd be surprised at what men are capable of understanding given the chance." Kurenai said softly as she looked at Mirai playing with Choji and Shikamaru, there was faraway look in her eye and the way her lips curved into slight smile told Ino she was thinking of a fond memory.

XXXX

* * *

By the time Shikamaru and Choji walked her home all the streetlights were on and the roads mostly deserted.

Bidding her team mates farewell she found her mother doing some last minute inventory for the shop which was obviously closed by now. As she walked closer her mother looked up and smiled, "You look in better spirits."

"It's been a long day." She sat down next to her mother to help her with the rest of the work, "I had a dream about dad again last night."

"Oh honey." Her mother brushed her bangs out of her face.

Ino gave her mother what she hoped was a reassuring smile, "I'm ok, I just miss him I guess."

"I miss him too.." She said softly as she touched her daughter's hair.

The kunoichi sighed as she stood up and kissed her mother on the forehead, "You should get to sleep, it's getting late, I'll finish up here."

Her mother opened her mouth to argue but Ino had already started shooing her away.

"Ok, Ok, I'm leaving. So stubborn just like your father!" She said fondly moving her daughter's bangs one last time before she turned to leave.

"Oh Ino! I almost forgot. That friend of yours was here before I closed shop, twice actually."

"Huh?" Ino looked up quizzically.

"You know the pale boy, Sai was it? He said he had looked for you all over. The second time he came he told me to let you know he'd be leaving for a mission tonight I think."

_Sai was leaving on a mission already? But they just got back from one less than a day ago!? What kind of mission was this anyway? Was it dangerous? Of course it was. It must be. It can't be anything routine they wouldn't send a former Anbu to babysit anyone that's for sure. _

"Did he say anything else?" Ino felt desperate for more information.

"No I don't think so."

_Who are his team mates anyways? What if something happens to him? Did she even recall her last conversation with him?_

"Okay." She couldn't bother hiding the disappointment from her voice.

'_Hello Beau-' . She had cut him off. _

As her mother left the room Ino was left alone with rational and irrational fears sweeping through her mind… and thoughts. Disturbing thoughts.

Thoughts that revolved around a certain pale dark haired ex Root member.


	9. Chapter 9- The flower and the root

**Disclaimer: Do not own any of the characters. **

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews made me want to churn out a long chapter hahah. I hope you like it. Special shout out to HerosReprise, thank you for always taking the time to review my work! It means a lot! **

**Enjoy!**

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**x**

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Trying to find more information about Sai's mission while simultaneously avoiding Sakura was proving to be a hard task for Ino. Her last conversation with her bestfriend had left a bitter taste in Ino's mouth and she was nowhere near ready patch things up. On the other hand she desperately wanted to know more about Sai's whereabouts and Sakura was his team mate.

Naturally she had tried to seek out Naruto first but after spending the better part of the morning looking for him, she bumped into Hinata near the training grounds who informed her he was on a mission with Tenten and Shino.

_Darn it! I was hoping Naruto was on Sai's mission too, the idiot always made sure to protect his team mates. _Ino sighed at this rate she was starting to get more worried.

"Is everything alright Ino?" Hinata asked politely noticing Ino's visible disappointment.

"Oh everything is fine Hinata, I'm just looking for Sai." The blonde flashed Hinata a smile, "You wouldn't happen to know where he is would you?"

"Oh! Umm he's on a mission with Kiba and Lee… I'm not really sure where though… Kiba didn't say much before he left."

"Kiba? And…Lee? Woah that's a pretty attack oriented team!" Ino felt uneasy and it showed on her face.

Hinata simply nodded in agreement.

Lee and Kiba were both known for their head on attack styles and not for their well thought out plans, they clearly needed someone like Shino or Shikamaru who was level headed to balance out the team. Sai was a former Anbu, so Ino didn't doubt his abilities but she couldn't help but wonder what kind of mission would require so much attack power. There was an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Do you have any idea when they will be back?" Ino asked trying her best to appear nonchalant.

"Kiba mentioned it would take a couple of days… nothing specific…sorry I'm not being very helpful." Hinata shook her head apologetically.

"No need to apologize Hinata! You've been plenty of help!" The blonde reassured the Hyuuga heiress, "I better head back to the shop, hope Naruto comes back to you soon safe and sound!"

Ino giggled as Hinata blushed, the blonde was walking away when the pale eyed kunoichi waved and called out "Thank you Ino, I hope Sai comes back to you soon too."

_How'd she figure that out?!_

Ino felt the color rise to her face and almost stumbled, "U-uhh haaha ...w-what do you mean?"

Hinata just gave her a knowing look and a warm smile.

XXXX

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Two days have passed and Ino was still reluctant to reconcile things with Sakura. To that effect she had avoided going to the hospital and spent most of her time fidgeting in the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Choji had stopped by several times to let her know Sakura was looking for her in the hospital but it had only made Ino grit her teeth- _The nerve of her?! Sending in Choji to do her dirty work. _

Ino's mood was not made any better by the fact that there was still no word of Sai and his team, she didn't know anything beyond what she found out from Hinata. She considered asking the Hokage but that thought was scrapped right away- she knew better than to ask for classified mission details.

Pride was the only thing that prevented Ino from going up to Sakura and asking her, she would likely know considering the pink haired kunoichi and Naruto were Sai's closest (and probably only) friends.

Outside the window she noted grey clouds and immediately felt a stab of panic. Rain always complicated missions. She prayed it would just pass over and started working on more flower arrangements to stop herself from thinking up worst case scenarios.

By mid afternoon dark ominous clouds started to gather over the village masking the midday sun, within an hour the sky was so dark it looked like it was well past evening. What started as a light smattering of rain escalated into the worst kind of storm- the wind was howling like a wild animal making trees creak, bend and moan with their leaves whipping through the air like confetti, thunder boomed over head periodically to be followed by jagged forks of lightning so large that they seem to threaten to rip the sky apart and the rain- the rain.

Even from indoors the storm looked formidable, Ino dreaded to imagine what it was like outside. She was never a fan of storms to begin with now with the added anxiety of worrying about Sai she felt terrified. She helped her mother close up shop early, no one would be insane enough to be out in this weather. They ate their suppers as the storm outside raged on with no sign of letting up. Their windows and doors rattled in their frames with the force of the wind and pelting of the rain, a particularly loud rumble of thunder made Ino almost jump out of her chair.

"Ino dear fret not. Remember the more violent the storm the brighter the sunshine that follows it." Her mother tried to comfort her by smoothening her hair.

"What good would the sunshine do when all the flowers have already been ripped up?" Ino shuddered and mumbled.

"Some flowers are stronger than you think." Her mother looked at the window, outside the sill their potted plants were thrashing in the wind, "Storms make flowers take deeper root."

XXX

* * *

The rain was still hammering against her window when Ino wrapped herself in layers of blankets and was finally on the verge of drifting to sleep… and then she heard it. Over the rain, wind and thunder it was barely audible but her keen shinobi senses could pick up the sound of someone shouting. Within minutes she heard heavy bangs on her front door.

Kicking off her blanket she quickly pulled on some pants under her large shirt. Rushing to the door she saw a young black haired girl she quickly recognized as one of the medic nins from the hospital.

The girl was completely soaked and looked disheveled, before Ino could so much as invite her in, the girl grabbed her wrist and pulled.

"Hospital... Lady Tsunade… Emergency… Now." The poor girl wheezed out and pulled Ino's wrist harder.

That was she needed to hear.

Darting across the village as fast as she could with the other medic nin in tow only one thing kept repeating itself like a mantra in her mind.

_Please let it not be him. Please let him be okay. _

XXX

* * *

The trail of spattered blood on the hospital door made Ino freeze momentarily, whoever it was clearly lost a lot of blood. Without paying attention to her drenched clothes she barged in, the medic nin accompanying her lead her off to the corridor to the left and what she saw confirmed her worst fears.

Hana Inuzuka was tending to a whimpering Akamaru, next to her Kiba was groaning holding his sides which were heavily bandaged.

"He has internal bleeding and possibly broken ribs, we don't have enough experienced medic nins on hand right now, I can seal cuts and bruises but invasive techniques are beyond me." The black haired medic nin explained.

Ino nodded and rushed to Kiba, "Ok Kiba I need you to straighten up, I need to get a better look."

"I-I'm fine! Take a look at the others first! Sai and Lee they're-" Kiba growled through gritted teeth and swatted her away.

_Oh no. Oh no. No please. _

It took a lot of effort to keep her face impassive and not inquire further, if the medic nin had brought her to Kiba first then it must be for a reason, she could not afford to get distracted.

"Shut up and let me do my job Kiba." Ino ordered, "Now hold still or I'll have you restrained."

Kiba opened his mouth to argue but Ino had already started concentrating her chakra to her hands. The dark haired medic nin assisted Ino while she examined Kiba, his injuries were pretty extensive but not as serious as they had looked initially fortunately.

"He won't need surgery, I can fix this here and now." Ino felt his side, "A few broken bones, but they'll heal. I'll need to seal off the bleeding, sedate him."

Akamaru gave a loud yelp as Hana popped one of his dislocated paws in place. She petted the ninken and looked at Ino and then back at the big white dog, "That's a relief, you hear that Akamaru? Kiba will be just fine."

"Where's Sakura and Lady Tsunade?" Ino asked as she closed up another bleeding vessel, luckily none of his vital organs were too damaged.

"Sakura is in surgery with Lee … Lady Tsunade and Shizune are operating on Sai." Hana informed her.

_Lady Tsunade was tending to Sai…with Shizune? _

She felt a cold grip on her heart, Tsunade and Shizune usually worked together on extremely serious surgeries. Her hands trembled but she pushed all thoughts related to Sai out of her mind, she had to give attention to the task at hand.

"Ok you can close up his wounds now." Ino turned to the dark haired medic, "I'm done here, he needs a plasma pill, he's lost a lot of blood. Make sure he doesn't move too much when he regains consciousness."

"Hai." The medic nodded curtly.

"What happened to them out there?" Ino looked from Akamaru to Kiba not really expecting an answer.

Hana spoke up, "According to Kiba they were attacked on their way back… by some crazy cult followers."

"What?" Ino frowned.

"Some nutters following the way of Jarin .. no Jasi.. no that's not what Kiba said...Ja-"

"Jashin." Ino completed the sentence for her.

She recalled the amethyst eyes and mad laughter. _No. It's not him. It can't be. Shikamaru made sure of that. _

Ino didn't even bother washing off Kiba's blood from her hands as she shouldered open the door and headed towards the operating theatres.

XXXX

* * *

She was stopped by two nurses when she tried to go past the empty waiting room.

"Miss Yamanaka we can't let you go in, they've already started operating." The first nurse frowned and scanned her from head to toe, eyes lingering on her bloody hands, "You might want to consider changing and washing up."

Ino realized she must've looked demented to the nurses, drenched from the storm with muddied boots and her bloody hands from treating Kiba- infact she was pretty sure if she wasn't a regular medic at the hospital someone would've stopped her long before she made anywhere close to the surgery rooms.

"Urgh. I don't have time for this." She glared at the nurses.

"We can't risk you coming in de-sanitized." The second nurse stated flatly, "You have worked here long enough to know why."

"Barging in the middle of a surgery will only likely cause more complications." Added the first.

"Fine." Ino gritted her teeth, her head was throbbing and it made it difficult to think clearly but the nurses had made a good point. She felt helpless, there was nothing she could do to help right now. She needed to do something to distract herself or she'd go insane.

Resigning herself to that thought she headed towards the locker rooms, she scrubbed her hands and face in the sink and changed into the clothes she kept at the hospital. Her hair was still wet but nothing could be done about that now.

After what seemed like hours of pacing in the deserted waiting room, one of the lights above operating theatre A went off indicating the surgery was over. Ino held her breath waiting for the doors to open.

Lady Tsunade and Shizune stepped out, their coats speckled in blood. Ino rushed them before they even had time to register what was happening.

"How is he?" She half screamed.

"Alive." Tsunade pushed past Ino and slumped in one of the chairs lined up against the wall.

Relief washed her.

Shizune gave Ino a small sigh, "The surgery was a success but it was grueling. We've been in there for over 3 hours… Nasty piece of work they did on him."

"May I go see him?" She blurted out the words without worrying about how desperate her tone sounded.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "He'll be shifted to the ICU soon, you can see him then. There's not much point though he won't be up before morning. How is Kiba doing?"

Ino blinked at the former Hokage in response. All her thoughts were so preoccupied with Sai, it took a while for her to register the question.

"Well?"

"Oh.. He's going to be fine. Broken ribs and internal bleeding from blunt force trauma. Vital organs intact. Caught all the bleeders and sealed them, plasma pill and rest recommended." She prattled off her prognosis.

"Good." Tsunade rubbed her temples and stifled a yawn, "Sakura will be done in a bit too would you like to wait for her?"

"With your permission I'd like to stay with Sai in the ICU." She kept her face as impassive as she could.

"Hn. Suit yourself." With that she lifted herself off the chair and headed to her office.

Shizune nodded at Ino politely before following.

XXXX

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The soft whir of the machines that Sai was hooked up to were the only sounds other than his own ragged breathing. Outside, the storm had finally died down as Ino approached his bed.

The sheets covered most of him other than the top of his chest, from what Ino could see it looked heavily covered in bandages. He was still unconscious, given how pale he looked if it wasn't for the rise and fall of his chest, she'd be worried.

His normally blank face would occasionally wince with each labored breath. Ino picked up the clipboard next to his table and scanned it meticulously. The number of injuries made her eyes go wide but what made her most worried was the fact that he had his left lung pierced. No wonder his breathing looked so painful. She reached for his face and hesitantly brushed his hair off his forehead, placing her palm against his skin she gasped. _He was burning up. _

She quickly went to fetch a bowl of water and a rag, placing the wet rag on his forehead, she triple checked his IV and then watched him.

Her heart ached every time he let out a shallow breath. She trailed a few fingers on along his cheekbone, healing away a small hairline scratch. The warm green chakra must have been soothing as his expression softened and a soft contented sigh left his parted lips. Her heart thrummed in her chest like the wings of a hummingbird at the unexpected sound, she felt the color rise to her cheeks and immediately withdrew her hand from his face.

The rain had finally stopped and the clouds had lifted enough to let moonlight flit in through the window. Under the soft white glow Sai looked almost divine. Ino took in the sight of him as her stomach did backflips. His pale skin shone in the moon light a stark contrast to his mussed up dark hair that stood up in odd angles, his dark onyx eyes were closed and she noticed how his thick lashes cast shadows on his cheekbones and his lips, oh his lips. Ino could swear they were the most beautiful pair she had ever seen on a human being. In fact as she watched the gorgeous ex-Root member basking in the glow of the moon, she was no longer sure he even counted as a human being- he looked positively ethereal.

The sound of the door sliding open made Ino tear her eyes away from the raven haired shinobi.

Blue eyes met green.

"I-Ino?" Sakura sounded surprised to find her bestfriend at her team mate's bedside.

XXXX

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The awkwardness was so obvious it was practically visible.

"How's Lee?" Ino asked turning her attention back to Sai, she took the rag off his forehead and soaked it in the cold water again before replacing it, "Surgery went well I hope."

"He's stable. Should be fine by morning." The pinkette approached the other side of Sai's bed.

There was an odd moment of silence. Both girls were trying carefully to focus their eyes on anything but each other.

"He seems stable too." Sakura finally broke the silence; she looked at the monitors and nodded, "that's a relief. You don't really need to wait up, he won't be up before morning. I'm about to head home, you want to head out together?"

Ino shook her head and covered her mouth as she felt a yawn come up, "It's ok. I don't mind staying here."

"You look really tired. The nurses will let us know if we're needed-"

"I'll be okay Sakura. I want to do this." Ino cut in softly.

For a moment Sakura looked between her unconscious team mate and her best friend, "…You genuinely like him don't you?"

"I do." Ino replied without any hesitation, she had come to terms with that fact a while ago, "and no- it's not because of how he looks."

Sakura looked up to lock eyes with blue eyed kunoichi.

"What? Is that so strange?" Ino crossed her arms and frowned.

"Well uhh…" Sakura smiled sheepishly, turning her head to look at Sai, "He's well…"

"I don't know how to explain it Sakura." Ino looked at his face and fondly added, "It's strange. He makes me mad. He makes me sad. He makes me laugh and cry and sometimes I wonder whether I want to kiss him or kill him. .. but he makes me feel you know.. feel alive."

"Ino…I had no idea… I didn't…earlier… I'm sorry. I was just worried about him." She motioned towards her team mate, "He's been through so much and he's so naïve.…I'm sorry…no wonder you were so angry at me."

"I wasn't mad at you Sakura, for saying what you said." The blonde spoke softly, "I was hurt. There is a difference."

Sakura flinched at her words and bit her lip, "I-Ino."

"It's okay Forehead, I'll get over it." The blonde rolled her eyes, "Don't look at me like a lost puppy now!"

Sakura giggled and shook her head. It was just like Ino to go from serious to comical.

"You look terrible." Ino took in the worn out look in Sakura's eyes.

" Well excuseeee me! Someone decided to stop coming in for hospital duty so I've been doing double shifts!" She shot Ino an accusatory look.

Ino brushed off the allegation and flipped her hair back, "Oh go on get some sleep. I can handle this."

"You sure?"

"Believe it."

"You're starting to sound like Naruto, you know from an angle you kind of look like him."

"Get out before I start using your forehead as target practice."

XXXX

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**Author's Note:**

**Was listening to Give me Love by Ed Sheeran while typing this. **

**Feel free to let me know your thoughts! Also how sexy is Hidan? Why don't we have more Kimimaro or Hidan fics? **

**Follow, Fav, Review XOXO**


	10. Chapter 10- Fears and Tears

**Disclaimer: Do not own characters.  
Pretty short chapter apologies in advance.**

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_Mad laughter rang through the air. _

"_Shikamaru? Choji?" She looked for her teammates wildly. Her voice sounding small and frail; almost completely drowned out by the echoes of the wild laugh. __**His**__ laugh. _

_She was surrounded by darkness. There was nothing but pitch black all around her. She couldn't see what was ahead, behind, above or below- everything was smothered in shadow. But she could feel it, those dark amethyst eyes that reveled in pain. Panic gripped her and she ran. _

_It made no difference. No matter how hard she sprinted, the darkness enveloped her, the laughter seemed to get louder by the minute._

_Then all of a sudden it stopped. _

_She was kneeling over Asuma Sensei, her hands over his chest glowing the familiar green. He was coughing blood and she could feel that her chakra was the only thing holding his heart together._

'_Don't bother. I wouldn't make it anyway.'_

_No. Don't say that. She concentrated her chakra, but it was fading. She felt his heartbeat get more and more sluggish under her palm._

_No. Please. No. _

'_I bet you know it too.'_

_I'm not strong enough. But I'm trying, please hang in there. _

'_Ino..'_

_No. No. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to, not again. You can't die._

'_Ino..'_

_NO, I can't do this again. _

'_Beauty.'_

_Her head snapped up to look at the fallen shinobi. It was no longer Asuma Sensei under her hands but Sai. The deep red crimson of the blood from his mouth stood out against his pale skin, his intelligent onyx eyes looked a dull washed out grey, his breathing labored and his heartbeat slowing under her own hands. _

_She froze. Tendrils of terror curled into her stomach. Her hands trembled as the chakra flickered erratically._

_Not him. Please. Not him too. _

'_Beauty.'_

_His voice was hoarse and was followed by fit of coughing. Blood seeped through the gaps in her fingers on his chest. _

_Why is there so much blood? Where was it all coming from? I can't. I don't know how to do this._

_His heartbeat stuttered…and stopped. No. NO. NO. Tears stung her eyes and trickled down her chin. She started to manually press down on his chest to pump his heart._

_He lay there motionless, his eyes vacant, mouth ajar. She raised her hands which were still warm and slick with blood. His blood. _

_She screamed. _

XXXX

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"Beauty!"

His voice was like beacon in the dark for her.

Ino's eyes snapped open to see Sai's face peering at her in the dim moonlight. He looked tired and weak, his face flushed his breathing hard but very much alive. Without another thought she threw herself at him, and buried her face in the side of his neck whimpering as the tears fell freely from her eyes.

"Y-You're okay…y-you're okay… it was j-just a bad dream," She squeezed him tighter as she stammered.

"Beauty..? Uh..It is difficult to breathe like this…you are crushing my good lung…" Sai's voice was strained.

It was then that Ino properly took in her surroundings and everything clicked in place.

She was in Sai's hospital room and must have fallen asleep at the foot of his bed at some point. She then noticed her current position, half sprawled on Sai.

"I'm so sorry Sai!" Color rose to her cheeks as she quickly retracted her arms from the injured ex-Root member and repositioned herself to sit at the foot of his bed again.

Sai clutched at his side tenderly and winced.

_Hope I didn't tear any stitches. _Ino felt a pang of guilt.

He was sitting up now and the sheets were bunched around his waist, the left side of his chest was completely covered in bandages. He was lean but his shoulders were comparatively broad, the tendons of his neck were slightly outlined in his current position further accentuating his collar bones. He wasn't overtly muscular but lean, sinewy and lithe, there was something graceful in the way he moved to readjust his sheets.

If Ino had not been so distracted by the sight of him, she would notice the dark haired boy was staring intensely at the kunoichi.

"Beauty…are those for me?"

His voice was quiet but enough to bring the blonde out of the trance she was seemingly in. She blinked at him trying but failing to understand what he asked.

Sai furrowed his brows and gingerly leaned over towards her, and to Ino's surprise reached for her face and gently brushed her cheek with the tips of his fingers. They glistened wet with her tears.

She immediately started to self consciously rub her face and eyes with the back of her hands, embarrassed at him seeing her cry over a nightmare.

"You said my name before you woke up." He furrowed his brows as he looked at his fingers, "Did I make you cry in your dream?"

Ino fidgeted uncomfortably, her mind had gone completely blank and no excuses were coming to her.

"I dreamt you were dying and I wasn't good enough to save you. Just like how I couldn't do anything to save Asuma Sensei or my father." She fought to keep her voice steady and focused her gaze at anything but him.

"You cried… because you felt responsible for my death?" His blunt answer made Ino look at him.

"No," she snapped at him without meaning to, "I cried because you were dead, period."

His normally impassive face faded away as his pupils dilated and darkened, "Why would it matter?"

His tone had changed; it was no longer deadpan and serious. It was one of those dark, deep voices, the kind that made men listen and women shed their clothing.

Her heart thudded against her chest so hard she was sure he could hear it, her mouth went dry as her stomach started to knot itself. Forcing herself to tear away from his gaze she tried her best to regain her composure.

"Why shouldn't it?" Ino kept her voice as impassive as she possibly could.

He seemed taken aback by her reply and a moment of silence passed between the two.

Sai spoke softly his voice having lost its previous edge, "I cried when Shin died. He told me it was a sign of weakness."

"Yeah shinobi rule 25, I know the drill Sai." Ino tried to keep her emotions in check as she thought of all the people she had lost, "I don't care if it makes me weak. I weep for my father, I weep for my teacher and I would weep for you."

"But unlike them I am not a normal Konoha shinobi. I am a member of Root. If I die it would be like I never had existed, there are no names on the memorial for us. No one cries for members of Root. We have no one. We are no one."

He stated it like a fact, there was no bitterness or hint of lament. It almost threatened to break her heart.

"You know that it isn't true! You're one of us now! All of us would be devastated if anything happened to you!" She tried to blink back the tears that were welling up.

Sai looked shocked at Ino's outburst but once again surprised her by leaning over and wiping away her tears. She felt herself stiffen as his fingertips ghosted over her cheeks, and despite whirlwind of emotions wracking her, she felt her heart flutter under his touch.

"I may have said the wrong thing. I did not mean to upset you…" Sai was looking at his wet fingertips with his brows furrowed again, "I was trying to cheer you up."

Ino snorted in spite of herself, _cheer me up? With that speech? Ok he needs professional help._ "That was you trying to make me feel better? SAI!? That was morbid!"

"I was informing you that you didn't need to be sad over me." Sai looked at her seriously.

Ino rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Oh yes, someone telling you that you don't need to be sad over their death because their whole life is non-existent is just what I needed to hear."

"Exactly."

"Sai, that was sarcasm."

"What is sarcasm?"

_Calm down. Calm Down. He's hurt I can't hit him. _Ino tried to rationalize with the inner part of her that wanted to strangle the boy in front of her. _Deep breaths. Deeeep breaths. _

"Sarcasm is when you say something but mean the opposite."

"You mean like when I call you Beauty?"

She hit him hard and immediately regretted it as he doubled over coughing.

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The bruise on his cheek took little to no time for Ino to heal but she felt incredibly guilty nonetheless. He was lying back again and fast asleep, he dozed off while she was taking care of his cheek, the warm green chakra had a lethargic effect on him. She checked the clock on the wall and it read 3 am.

Her neck and back started to feel stiff and her eyelids heavy, she stretched and checked his vitals one last time before she sat down on the bed next to him.

Shaking her head mid-yawns she tried her best to keep her eyes open and focus on the sleeping shinobi. His breathing was still labored, but his fever had broken. She brushed his mussed up hair out of his face and wondered if he had any idea about how she felt. Judging by their most recent conversation it seemed very unlikely.

That was her last thought when sleep took her.

Had she been awake a minute longer she would have heard Sai softly murmur her name in his sleep.

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**Author's Note:**

**Wanted to update asap so went for a shorter chapter, hope you guys liked it! I'm not sure if I executed this one as well as the others, please let me know if anything seems off or needs work. Reviews make me feel special :x so umm please? Also if you have any cute InoSai ideas for this story PM me or comment, would love some prompts :) **


	11. Chapter 11- Invidia

**Thank you for all the follows, favvies and ofcourse reviews! I really feel encouraged to write more due to all your kind words :D I really loved that a lot of new people have also started reviewing, it really makes my day.**

**Also, I'm sorry it took a while to update, I had my birthday on the 23rd of April so I was busy weee :D**  
**On a sadder note my country felt aftershock tremors of the Nepal Earthquake so everyone was pretty much in panic mode. Things seem ok here now but we don't know if we'll be hit next Keep us in your prayers! Thoughts and heart out to those affected in Nepal, the real world is scary.**

**Sorry for bringing up something like that but it's been really freaking me out and I needed to let people know. At any rate…**

**I hope you enjoy this! Fair warning though Sai may seem a bit out of character, but it seemed like the situation called for it, bear with me it should all be explained in the next few chapters.**

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"WHAT'S INO DOING HERE?"

Naruto's obnoxious screech made Ino's eyes snap open. It took a few seconds to adjust to the bright sunshine before she could make out the shapes in front of her.

Naruto was standing at the doorway pointing an accusatory finger at the blonde kunoichi, behind him Sakura stood with an apologetic smile.

"I'm not sure." Sai's deadpan voice answered.

Ino looked up and saw Sai sitting crosslegged in the hospital bed looking straight at her.

_Crap. I fell asleep again._

"I'm a MEDIC. What's so strange about me being in the hospital?" she hissed as rubbed her shoulders, _note to self sleeping at the foot of a bed was not comfortable._

Naruto just gave her a suspicious squinty look. Sakura quickly cut in, "How are you feeling Sai?"

"Like my lung just got punctured." The dark haired boy answered flatly.

"Oh uh well.. I have your meds." Even Sakura- his teammate- found his blunt answers a little too honest, "Oh Ino, Shizune wants you to check up on Kiba before they discharge him."

Ino was mid stretch and grimaced, she was hoping to get some proper sleep in an actual bed.

"Don't make that face, he is YOUR patient." Sakura rolled her eyes and then turned to Sai to give him his pills.

"Poor Kiba what'd he do to deserve that." Naruto sniggered.

"What's that supposed to mean dimwit!?" Ino glared at the future Hokage.

"Honestly you're acting like children!" Sakura sighed, "Ino, Kiba's waiting. Naruto, Lady Tsunade will be here in a bit to run some tests on Sai, you'll want to be out of here by then."

"Yeah yeah I'm on it," Ino stepped up towards the door passing Naruto, smiling ever so sweetly she muttered just so he could hear, "Your short hair looks stupid."

She had to try really hard not laugh at the panic that was slowly creeping up the Uzumaki's face.

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"Finally! That took forever!" Kiba complained as Ino finished up his report.

Akamaru yelped in agreement and nuzzled Ino's leg. Instinctively she petted him before getting up from her table.

"Well I would be faster if you could shut up for two seconds!" She countered, "At any rate, you're done and free to go."

"Uh hey Ino?" Kiba asked suddenly serious.

"What now?" Ino snapped but stopped when she noticed the look on his face, "What's wrong?"

"Jashinists~ you've fought one with your team haven't you… I mean I uh… I know … like the guy…" he had a tough time choosing the right words, there wasn't exactly a delicate way to phrase this.

"The guy that got Asuma sensei, hai. He was one." Ino confirmed without letting any of her emotions creep into her voice.

Kiba lowered himself to scratch Akamaru behind the ears and tried to sound nonchalant as he continued, "umm you free right now? I mean I..uh..."

"Hn? Uh well I don't have anything to do right now but Lady Tsunade may need me later I'm not sure." Ino spoke quickly, truth was she was free but she wanted to check up on Sai later.

"Oh I was hoping to talk to you, we could go talk in the yard, I mean they could come get you if they need you then." Kiba motioned outside.

"Oh alright, you better not be coming on to me dogboy." Ino eyed him suspiciously.

"Hn. You wish." Kiba grinned and led her to the yard.

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"So Jashinists huh?" Ino started seeing as Kiba seemed unsure of how to begin.

"Yeah. They came outta nowhere." The dog-nin's face tensed visibly, "We were just heading back after completing the mission, and suddenly Akamaru got all spooked. I thought he probably smelt rain or something but he wouldn't budge. Then we got to this clearing see… and t-they..", he gritted his teeth and shook his head as if trying to forget the scene, "They had this guy all strung up bleeding him dry… chanting all the while… Ino it was the sickest thing I've ever seen."

Ino shuddered and listened intently.

"Lee went for them head on after that, and Sai and I had to blow our covers. We were holding our own before the storm hit though." Kiba continued, "There was just so many of them… and the looks on their faces…it's like they enjoyed it you know. Every one of them looked like they got off on our attacks it…was…so …weird..I just...we barely got outta there alive."

Akamaru whimpered as if in agreement.

Ino bent down to scratch the big nin-dog to calm him down, "There. There. It's ok."

"They're messed up, Jashinists.." Ino voice shook a little as she rubbed her neck, repressed memories started to surface, of her being dragged across a field with Choji with those black threads wrapped around her, " and Hidan was the worst of them all… him and that partner of his Kakuzu. I wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for Shika and Kakashi sensei."

"I can't even begin to picture what an immortal Jashinist is like…the mortal ones have scarred me enough for a lifetime." Kiba shook his head, uncharacteristically modest.

The two spent the next hour discussing Jashinists, Hidan, Asuma's death and the attack on HQ. It was strange for Ino to finally talk about those incidents with someone outside team 10, it was liberating. Like a weight being lifted off her shoulders. Kiba Inuzuka was surprisingly a pretty good listener. He eventually steered the conversation to lighter and happier topics like reminiscing about their academy days and Hinata's infatuation with Naruto.

"Did I tell you about the time Hinata headbutted Naruto in the hospital?" Kiba grinned at her.

"What?" Ino giggled.

"No seriously! She got so nervous with him standing so close she headbutted him across the room. You had to see it to believe it!" he howled with laughter and soon Ino couldn't help but join in. His laugh was infectious.

Kiba Inuzuka…he was always the first to anger and the first to laugh. The boy was a hothead but he wore his heart on a sleeve- no complications, no beating about the bush. One look at his face and you could tell what he was thinking. The exact opposite of Sai.

_Why couldn't I have fallen for someone like him?_ She looked at the shinobi infront of her; tan and rugged, with that animalistic glint in his eye, he was definitely not bad looking. He was easy to talk to, easy to understand… easy to love. Then why is it that throughout the entire conversation all her thoughts were nagged by images of the pale boy with dark hair?

"Yo!? Earth to Ino." Kiba waved his hands in front of her face, "Are you even listening?"

"Uh.. Um er sorry." She apologized quickly, "I was just a little distracted, what were you saying?"

"I was saying if you haven't had breakfast we could go grab some together." Kiba shook his head, "It's nice to hear someone else contribute to a conversation, I don't know if you've noticed but Hinata and Shino aren't exactly talkers."

Ino grinned, "Yeah I could go for some food."

As the two stepped out, she couldn't help but look back at the hospital. For a second she could swear she saw a pair of dark eyes watching her intently through a window but it was gone in a blink and she assumed it was just her overactive imagination. _Or rather wistful thinking. _She thought bitterly before plastering on a big smile so Kiba wouldn't notice.

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Breakfast was uneventful. Kiba dropped her home before heading out to visit Shino who had just got back from his mission with Naruto.

Ino was considering going back to the hospital but decided she needed to take a shower and nap first, her back and neck hurt from how she had slept the previous night and plus Sakura was at the hospital now so it wasn't like Sai wouldn't have anyone to check up on him.

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It was late afternoon when Ino knocked and entered Sai's hospital room. The ex-Root was sitting on his hospital bed sketching furiously. Crumpled paper was littered all around him and his fingers were smudged with ink.

"Sai you shouldn't be exerting yourself so much!" Ino exclaimed as she took in the way how ragged his breathing sounded.

"Why are you here again? What do you want?" Sai's harsh words made her take a step back.

"Huh? S-Sai is everything ok?" Ino stuttered, she couldn't understand why he was suddenly being so hostile.

"No. Everything is not alright." Sai's eyes flashed darkly as he looked away from her and went back to his drawing, "it is all wrong."

The normally impassive boy looked like he was seething. He stopped his brush suddenly and yanked the paper from the notepad, ripping it harshly in the process, muttering under his breath he crumpled it threw it aside before starting anew.

Ino had never felt so confused in her life. She couldn't imagine what had caused the boy to react like this; he was normally calm even in the direst of situations. She slowly started to pick up the crumpled papers, intending to clear up the room for him when out of nowhere a firm hand gripped her wrist.

"Don't touch that!" Sai's voice was borderline dangerous, he then looked at where his hand touched her wrist, his eyes darkened again and he immediately let go, "I think..it is best you leave."

Ino blinked back the tears that were starting to form, everything was fine how had things gotten this bad between them. Her head reeled.

"I don't understand." She began weakly.

"Ino..please." This was the first time he used her actual name. There was a strange tinge of desperation in his voice, "My head feels like it's going to explode if you're here a second longer. Please."

She rushed out of the room with tears streaming down her face.

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**Author's note:**

**Fav, follow, reviewwwww :D Suffering from a slight case of writer's block so sorry for the short chapter, any tips or prompts on how to proceed would be appreciated. I would love to read what you think about this chapter, if you have any criticism or tips feel free to let me know! xoxo**


	12. Chapter 12- Fake Smiles

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you so much for all the reviews! **

**To Soul Raider 116, chemistrykim, XoxSakurax3, Cielfairy , Queenies and fanofthisfiction for all your encouraging words! :D I hope you all enjoy this next chapter, it's a tad boring though!**  
**To HerosReprise for your constant support and wonderfully detailed reviews!**

**And thank you Nico Deh loved your review and all your ideas! I was actually thinking of something similar but didn't know if it would be too out of character; hope you like where Im going with this!**

**Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto or other characters.**

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'_I think..it is best you leave.'_

'_Ino..please'_

'_My head feels like it's going to explode if you're here a second longer.'_

'_Please.'_

Ino brushed past several hospital staff on her way out, tears blurred her vision as her body went into auto pilot. Everything around her sounded muffled and distant. All she heard was his voice, begging her to leave. Over and over.

It was too much.

It never felt this bad when Sasuke shunned her had it? In fact she was sure Sasuke had called her and the rest of his fangirls annoying and loud plenty of times in their academy days. She was fairly certain on more than one occasion the Uchiha had broodingly warned her to leave him alone. Then again that was part of his appeal perhaps; at any rate somehow his rebuffs had never made her feel so dejected.

Then why did it feel like her heart was being ripped in two now? She loved Sasuke yet nothing he said ever diminished her own sense of worth, but with a few words Sai had her questioning everything.

Wait loved? Since when did she refer to her feelings for Sasuke in the past tense?

"Woah Ino-pig! Watch where you're going!" Sakura's voice cut in sharply.

Ino blinked several times and realized she had narrowly avoided a collision with her pink haired best friend. She tried to focus but everything seemed to be suddenly spinning, her insides started to twist and her head felt uncomfortably heavy- like when you hold your breath for too long.

"Seriously you can't just space out like that in the middle of a hospital! What if I was carrying scalpels- Woah Ino what's wrong?" Sakura's tone changed immediately when she noticed the tear streaks down the normally head strong Yamanaka's face.

Ino didn't bother wiping the tears, she smiled weakly and used her hand to brace herself against the wall. She answered in monotone, "I am. I am all wrong. I'm so tired Sakura. I just-" before she could finish she felt her legs gave away and everything started to blur.

Sakura screamed her name but Ino found herself unable to answer back as everything suddenly went dark.

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Sakura hovering over her was the first thing she noticed when she woke up in the hospital bed.

"What happened?" Ino's voice sounded uncharacteristically small even to herself as she tried to get up but Sakura grabbed her shoulders and forced her to lay back down.

"You passed out, from what it looks like exhaustion… have you not been sleeping right Ino?" Sakura asked as she studied her bestfriend's face carefully.

"I guess not…" she answered honestly.

"For how long Ino?" The pink haired medic nin probed.

"…since the war I guess. Oh don't look at me like that it's not PTSD or anything. I just. I mean it's just a few nightmares. Some nights they just get a bit bad that's all. It got a bit better but it's acting up again. Look I even napped earlier today, so I don't know why I konked off like that, it must be stress or something. I'll be fine"

"Ino insomnia is not something you should take lightly." Sakura reprimanded, "I'm going to give you some herbs that should help ok, and if something IS bothering you… you know I'm here for you right?"

Ino sighed as she considered her options. She could talk about Sai with Sakura, there was that. But how do you even begin to explain something you don't understand yourself?

Truth was, she already did tell her friend the core of it before she passed out. She was tired. She was tired of chasing after boys who clearly didn't want her. Tired of chasing after some child's dream of a fairly tale romance.

She wasn't the airheaded genin she used to be, the war had changed everyone including her. Perhaps it manifested later rather than sooner but she knew deep down she couldn't live in that delusion anymore, the Infinite Tsukuyomi dream was a child's dream, Sasuke did not want her, Sai did not want her, and her father, well he was dead.

It was strange how a simple line can bring so many things into perspective. When she thought back on the Infinite Tsukuyomi, if she was given a chance to make any part of it true she knew without a doubt which part she could choose. But the dead don't come back to life, not in any real sense anyways.

So she looked at Sakura in that moment as pondered how it was humanly possible to express a fraction of the inner turmoil she was in. Instead she gave her friend a perfect smile and shook her head, "I'm okay Sakura. I really am."

So what if Sakura didn't notice how the smile didn't quite reach her best friend's eyes. She wasn't meant to.

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XXX

Seeing as all that was recommended for her was lots of rest, Sakura discharged Ino without too much fuss but insisted they have dinner together- something more substantial than Ino's usual salad.

As the two kunoichi ate, Sakura kept up a steady stream of hospital work related chatter. Ino found herself phasing out but forced herself to pay attention to avoid thinking about a certain dark haired ex-Root.

"Anyways as I was saying, are you going to go check up on Sai again tonight? I think it's best you get some sleep though Ino, you really scared me earlier!" Sakura exclaimed as she took another spoonful of broth.

"..Umm I think I'm just going to call it a night, I'm pretty tired." The blonde answered trying to keep her voice level.

"Hmm? I thought you'd put up more of a fight Ino-pig! I had a whole lecture half prepared in my head." Sakura giggled, "Speaking of fights! You should have seen the one I had to break up between Sai and Kiba earlier today!"

Ino's eyes snapped up at that, "Fight? What? But Sai's still injured! Is he okay?"

"Yeah he's okay don't worry, like I said I got there in time." Sakura nodded reassuringly, then rubbed her temples; "but urgh that Sai is such an insensitive idiot. He was antagonizing Kiba for no reason at all! The guy just came to check up on him and the nurses around said Sai just started baiting him… and you know how hot headed Kiba is…"

Sai picked a fight with Kiba? The information though not surprising made her stomach knot. What was going on with him? He was getting so much better after the war but now Sai seemed worse than ever before. She can't ever remember Sai acting so actively hostile, sure he was still insensitive but he was never intentionally hurtful … he was more on the lines of uncensored brutal honesty…but even that he was trying to constantly work past. But from what she saw and heard today he seemed to have taken several steps back, what in the world had caused the boy to regress like this?

"You think everything's alright with him? Maybe you should try talking to him Sakura?" Ino didn't bother hiding the concern in her voice, it wasn't like she could help how she felt.

"Yeah I was thinking of having a talk with him tomorrow, will you come see him afterwards?" Sakura watched her friend look blankly at the meal infront.

"I-I … I have some work pending at the flower shop maybe later…" Ino tried her best to sound convincing, if Sai didn't want her around she wasn't going to force her company on him, she wasn't going to be the same lovesick puppy she was with Sasuke. She wouldn't be Sai's little social experiment. Realizing that her answer would make Sakura ask more on the matter made her change the subject quickly, "So… Any word on Sasuke?"

Sakura put her spoon down and shook her head, "Nope. Not a peep. Naruto thinks he just needs space, so I'm just going to have to wait it out I guess."

"Hang in there, he'll be back. I know it." Ino felt a tad guilty bringing up such a sensitive issue, so she added with a grin, "… and you know…well worst case scenario… you could always try taming Konoha's Green Beast."

Sakura's face visibly twitched.

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The herbs Sakura recommended worked like a charm. That night Ino had fallen into a calming dreamless slumber.

She woke up far later than planned and realized she had already missed breakfast. As she started getting dressed she considered changing up things a bit. She examined herself in the mirror, she had gained weight but in a good way, her hair was much longer now too. She looked at her usual purple crop top and short skirt then on whim she rummaged through her closet and fished out a longer skirt. This one hung lower on her waist to reveal a much larger expanse of her lower stomach and hips, but it covered her shapely legs to almost her ankles. Then she decided to do something which was rare for her, she let her hair down. The long golden tresses had grown well past her hips, she took out the clips and tie that normally held her hair in a high pony tail and the effect was immediate. She looked like woman, no longer the little girl she once was.

"Oh sweetie you look gorgeous." Her mother stood at the door way, her eyes a little wide, "…That skirt is a bit low though no?"

Ino rolled her eyes, "I think it's perfect."

Mrs. Yamanaka sighed, she knew better than to argue with Ino about her choice of clothing. She blamed her husband for that ofcourse. Inoichi had always doted on his little princess, nothing she could do would ever be considered inappropriate. The thought of her late husband was always bittersweet and she smiled before she got too emotional.

"Oh all right then." Her mother gave in, "You do look lovely but be careful, you don't want to attract the wrong sort of attention."

"I'll be fine." Ino reassured her mother as she absently patted the concealed kunai strapped to her thigh, then kissing her mother on the cheek she headed out to the flower shop, "I'll be down at the shop, send me some brunch over when you get time 'kay?"

"Oh alright. I thought you had friends over at the hospital though… I could manage the shop on my own today dear." Her mother offered.

'_Ino..please'_

His voice came to her head unbidden.

"No. That's alright. No one really needs me there today." She grinned at her mother before she went off.

Her mother noticed how the smile didn't quite reach her daughter's eyes.

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XXX

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**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the super slow pace and all the internal dialogue, I thought it was necessary to ease into the next chapter. Also thought I should start the transition to her look in Naruto:The Last. **

**I have also decided this fic needs Sai-centric stuff from his POV, otherwise it would be hard to make sense of what I am planning. Do you reckon I should write another accompanying fic to this from Sai's view? Or do you think I should just add some Sai POV chapters to this fic? Let me know ASAP because I want to hash out the next chapter this week/or even tonight lol!**

**As always your comments, reviews, tips or critique are all welcome! **


	13. Chapter 13- (Interlude: Sai) Her

**So sorry for the late update! I've been a bit busy and had a tough time writing this as it's a Sai centric chapter. Sai is so difficult to write… at least for me because I can't tell how he thinks honestly haha. I hope I did his character justice. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Donot own Sai or any other characters from Naruto.**

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Sai winced as he tried to pick up the last of the crumpled paper that was formerly littered all over his hospital room, the newly opened stitches on his chest shot blazing pain up and down his side. But he did not mind, this was something he understood. Something he could deal with. Physical pain made sense, if I cut you, you will bleed. It was a simple concept. But _this_…_this_ he did not understand at all.

He felt a strange mix of dread and guilt as he thought of the look on the blonde kunoichi's face when she rushed out. It had to be done, the ringing in his ears had almost subsided by now but was unbearable when she was here. His chest ached and he was overcome with the urge to call her back and apologize. He probably would when she came back to do her rounds, she was a medical nin, this much he knew.

His jaw was set tight as he carefully smoothened out the paper. It was a detailed sketch of a young girl with a long ponytail smiling at what appeared to be a boy but his face was scratched out and blotted in ink.

The sight made his stomach clench uncomfortably and he automatically found himself thinking of the blonde haired kunoichi again, the one he nicknamed Beauty- Ino Yamanaka.

As of late that seemed to happen often, whenever he would find himself idle his thoughts would wander to her- the yellow in her long gold hair that made it seem she carried the very sun along with her, the startling blue of her eyes that he realized was a shade he could never quite pinpoint and her unrestrained laugh which could easily fill a room when she wasn't actively stifling it. It was strange how comfortable he was starting to feel around her, he rationalized that- in a way she reminded him of his team mates, she was passionate and hot headed like Naruto but she could be calm and collected like Sakura. She was brimming with what he knew was called emotions, everything about her was full of life, he had watched her many a times talk about flowers in her shop with so much passion in her that even Sai could feel it radiating off her. Sai had never come across someone so starkly different from him, if he was a black and white sketch she was a vivid technicolor photograph. Her voice amused him with its extremes just like her personality; she could go from a honeyed coax to a supersonic screech that rivaled his pink haired team mate's, but it seemed strange to hear such a sound come out of such a soft and delicate body. _Her body._ That was another thing altogether.

Increasingly disturbing thoughts would arise when he would look at her, much to his own chagrin. He was by no means used to being around females, in fact Sakura was probably the only female he actively spent time with. Yet, with Sakura he found it fairly easy to perceive her as the same way he did Naruto, the blonde kunoichi on the other hand, was proving to be harder to see that way the more time he spent with her. It had all started with the mission they went on, something about the way she looked and acted seemed to have triggered a dormant part of his subconscious that had started to stir initially from the books he had borrowed from Kakashi sensei in order to learn more about people and behavior. At any rate he was certain that part of him was the one that liked to look at her, to think about her- very much to his bewilderment.

It was likely because she was using some sort of special kunoichi jutsu for the mission and he just got caught in the crossfire, the pale shinobi thought to himself, of course that had to be it.

Still he would be lying if he said it wasn't strangely satisfying to wake up to the sight of her crawled up at the foot of his bed this morning. He thought he had dreamt of talking to her the earlier night, considering it wouldn't be the first time he had dreamt of her- another strange behavior his subconscious had recently adopted.. one he wished not to dwell on-, at any rate come morning he was almost certain she had been a fever induced delusion. But then Naruto and Sakura arrived and judging by Naruto's reaction she was most definitely there and real- not a figment of his as-of-late overactive imagination. The warmth that spread in his chest at the realization that she in fact did talk to him at night and told him she would cry if he died made him feel for once perhaps dying would not be so bad, if it meant someone would care enough to weep for him. And then Sakura said she had been tending Kiba and it felt like a punch to his gut.

Of course how could he be so blind, she was here because she had to treat Kiba and then she probably felt bad considering he had no one so dropped by. She probably came to just check up on him and fell asleep here in his room because she was tired, it didn't mean anything. Doctors say what they say to make their patients feel better, and her words had made him feel better…hadn't they? This was her duty, Kiba is the one she was here for.

He couldn't explain why he wished that she came to see him, it was an absurd feeling why would anyone come to see him?

He sighed as he put away the stack of drawings- all bearing the exact same sketch- onto the table beside his bed. Lying down he looked up at the ceiling, grimacing as the position pulled at his new stitches. Sakura and the former Hokage Tsunade had given him an earful for ripping them open earlier today and he was sure Sakura had intentionally skipped out on giving him any painkillers just to teach him a lesson.

This was unfair he thought. He wish he knew how he could make them understand why he acted the way he did, but right now he was having trouble rationalizing it himself. He didn't know why he found himself lunging at Kiba. All he remembered was the snarling feeling inside him that seeped over when the dog-nin entered the room grinning with that dog of his.

Sai remembered that feeling all too well from earlier today. He felt the first prick of it when Sakura had mentioned Kiba was the one her blonde bestfriend was tending to, but then seeing them- Kiba and her- outside it was just a thousand times amplified.

He couldn't help but feel irritated when he saw the dog-nin and her casually conversing; this was odd for him since this should not have been that big of a surprise. The whole group was pretty close knit- he was the one who joined in later, ofcourse they were all fairly casual around one another. But every time he noticed Kiba touched her or how he easily made her laugh it made something inside him boil over in fury. What was so amusing about him? Absolutely nothing that's what. It annoyed him to no end how easily he could keep a conversation flowing with her for so long. How could she stand it when he kept blabbering non-stop each time there was a lull in the conversation? It bothered him that Kiba kept interrupting her while she was in deep thought- didn't the idiot know when she bit her lip like that she was trying to think?

And then they walked off together, and before he knew it the glass in his hand somehow ended up getting crushed in his grip. He didn't bother looking at it and kept his eyes on her and for a second he could swear she looked right at him but then suddenly his chest felt tight and he couldn't breathe. When he looked back she was gone.

He clutched at his chest as the thoughts mimicked the faint echo of the feelings of that time. He looked to his right at his medicine bottle and nodded in understanding.

Yes. That made sense. It must be whatever medication Sakura and Lady Tsunade concocted. It was twisting his thoughts and causing him to act out so peculiarly.

Yes. That was the only rational reason why he would bait Kiba by calling him an inadequately endowed male and his dog a useless oversized stuffed animal; when all they did was come see him. Why else would after provoking the dog nin, Sai lunge at him knowing that in his current condition Kiba and Akamaru could rip him to shreds. It was a good thing Sakura interceded when she did, otherwise he would have more than a few open stitches to worry about.

He shook his head. Perhaps the problem was with Kiba, Sai was certain Naruto complained about him often too- perhaps he just had one of those faces meant to be hit. Sai smiled, that sounded about right.

XXX

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It was well past midnight, but she was yet to drop by.

Sai couldn't quite put a finger on what exactly he felt but he knew whatever it was he did not like it. He looked out the window, the moon was hidden somewhere behind the clouds, darkness stared back at him.

At some point Shizune dropped by and had hooked him to a new IV, when he asked the dark haired medic when Ino would do her rounds he was shocked to hear she had fainted earlier in the day.

Whatever Shizune said next was drowned out by the sudden rush of thoughts in his head. Each conjuring up a scenario worse than the last. Was she hurt? Was she sick? The thought of her in pain made his stomach coil.

And then a small part of him piped up: _Why? _

He considered all the strange thoughts and feelings he was experiencing and decided he was clearly out of his depth and needed to know more. He needed to find his book.

He was so busy rummaging through the drawer of the bedside table he didn't even notice when Shizune had left.

When his hand reached the small book he referred to for advice he quickly pulled it out and skimmed through the pages. None of the entries seemed anywhere near close to describing what he was going though. Frustrated he put the book down on his lap. It was no use he had no idea where to begin. Perhaps it would be best to ask Sakura, Sakura always had good advice.

He looked at the spot at the foot of his bed where she had slept the previous night. He felt a strange familiar emptiness creep up- the feeling of being alone. It was a feeling he thought he had gotten used to a long time ago.

The quiet seemed to press on him, he had gotten accustomed to being around people these past years. He closed his eyes and thought of his team mates, of Sakura and Naruto, of Kakashi sensei who was now Hokage. Everyone was moving on with their lives, except him. But he never quite had any goal or purpose. He was raised as a tool, he was brought in to replace Sasuke, but Sasuke would be back soon and he would no longer be required. He noticed how he had fewer and fewer tasks and missions with Team 7, Naruto was being prepared to be the next Hokage and he had to work on his relationship with Hinata, Sakura was getting busy with her work as a medic nin and she would according to rumors marry Sasuke soon. Kakashi was already drowning in his responsibilities as the Hokage. Where did that leave him?

He was so used to always having someone tell him what to do, it was odd having to decide for himself. He stared at the book in his lap and turned it over randomly. The more he thought about the future the more apprehensive he got. He looked out the window and noticed the faint red of dawn spreading slowly over the horizon.

He sighed and turned away, his eyes fell on his stack of sketches. It instantly brought to mind the sight of Kiba making her laugh. The clawing snarling feeling inside him returned, his hand twitched with the need to smash something. He tried to shake off the feeling by shifting in his bed, the new position causing the stitches to pull at his skin again making him grimace. Trying to take his mind off it; he returned to his book, his eyes zeroed in on one particular entry arbitrarily.

_Jealousy: __[1] __resentment against a rival or a person enjoying success or an advantage. __[2]_ _fiercely protective of one's rights or possessions. _

_Usually characterized by a surge of emotions such as anger, envy, sadness and sometimes resentment._

Sai narrowed his eyes. It made sense in theory… the symptoms fit… but why in the world would he be _jealous _of Kiba? It made no sense. How absurd.

His head started to throb again and he put the book away and lay flat on his back. Why had things gotten so confusing?

It was his last coherent thought before his subconscious took over. When he finally drifted off to sleep he dreamt of her again. The girl with the sun in her hair.

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**Author's note:  
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**First time writing from Sai POV. So difficult since I really got myself into Ino's shoes so the switch took a while for me haha I hope I didn't make it too boring or off-character. Again sorry for short chapters :( I will try to update as soon as I can!**

**I read all reviews btw :D So I'm really happy so many people put in their thoughts, majority seemed to want the Sai chapters in this fic so I'll go with the flow. Perhaps after I ****FINALLY**** finish this fanfic, I'll write a Sai centric one if people are interested- but that we can talk about after this is done. I hope you all liked it! Let me know in the reviews or PM me :D  
Thank you for all the Reviews, Follows and Favs, makes my day. You guys are the bestest! XOXO**


	14. Chapter 14- The decision

**So sorry for the late upload! I started an internship and it leaves me with little time on my hands to type this out, but I assure you I will finish this and not leave mid way!**

**Thank you everyone for the lovely reviews! I will properly express my thanks once I get more time- for now I hope you enjoy this story as a token of my gratitude towards you all.**

**(Warning: Slightly boring chapter.)**  
**Disclaimer: Do not make money off of this. Do not own Naruto. And other legal-stuffies.**

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_This is stupid. He's just a boy. _

_Just another boy who clearly doesn't want me._

Ino's mind kept going back to thoughts on the dark haired former Root no matter how hard she tried not to.

Her initial feelings of hurt and sadness were slowly manifesting itself into anger.

He had no right to talk to her like that. She had been nothing but kind and helpful towards him. He was the one who started to spend more time with her, he was the one who made it seem like he enjoyed her company…after everything to treat her like she was a hindrance…it was just too much.

Before her mood took a more dark turn she felt something push past her right shoulder. Irritated at the sudden interruption of her thoughts, the kunoichi glared at the offending person.

"Watch where you're – oh ..it's you Lady Tsunade." Ino changed her tone mid sentence to a more formal one as she nodded respectfully.

"Ah Ino…" Tsunade looked like she was slightly tipsy but still coherent enough to make sense, the Sannin rubbed her temples and gave Ino a one over, "my my… you look so grown up."

Ino tucked some of her blonde strands behind her ear and braced her features, "I feel grown up."

"Ah…war makes adults out of everyone sooner rather than later." Tsunade had a distant look in her eye for a few seconds, she then shook her head and gestured ahead, "I'm heading to the hospital, you coming?"

"I'll pass." Ino answered briskly.

The Sannin seemed to not have been expecting that answer and probed, "Strange I thought you'd be eager to check on your friend Sai's progress, I recall you being extremely anxious about his condition."

"I'm sure all my friends will recover fast under your care my Lady, as for not showing up for my rounds… Sakura must have told you I was ill yesterday."

"Hmmm… I see… For someone who almost tackled me the moment I completed my operation on him .. you seem to have lost your interest on our resident artist."

_Why does everyone treat me like some love sick puppy?_

She felt her anger bubble and thinking back on her last encounter with Sai only made it worse.

"Why should I care about that tactless jerk?" She hissed.

Tsunade gave a low chuckle, "I don't even want to know what's going on…"

Ino gritted her teeth and without thinking felt the words tumble out of her, "Then stop badgering me about it."

The former Hokage was too shocked by her outburst to reply and before she could Ino was gone.

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She mulled over her run in with Tsunade long after the incident. She didn't pay much attention to the people drifting in and out of the shop, she paced the shop and tended to simple takes but nothing would really take her mind off of recent events.

It was almost evening when she was finally pulled out of her reverie.

"That looks pretty neat Ino."

"Huh what?" The blonde kunoichi was brought out of her thoughts and looked up at the hulking form of Choji , she looked down and realized she had started arranging a yellow and purple bouquet while she was lost in her thoughts.

"Yellow and purple…just like you." Choji gave her a friendly smile as he approached closer, "What's in it?"

"The yellow ones are Candytuft," _Symbolizing indifference. _"The purple ones are Geraniums." _Symbolizing folly._

Ino answered as she looked at the bouquet as if for the first time realizing her choice of flowers. _Indifference and folly. How appropriate. That about sums up everything. _

"Oh is that right?" Choji remarked cheerfully oblivious to Ino's thoughts, he looked at the yellow flowers wistfully before chuckling, "Too bad they're not made of candy… I could go for a snack."

Ino shook her head and looked up at her team mate, "Don't you ever get tired of eating Cho?"

"You shouldn't ask questions you already know the answer to Ino." Shikamaru's bored drawl made the blonde yelp, the dark haired Jonin smirked and raised an eyebrow taking in her new hair and wardrobe choice, "Nice makeover."

"Shika? When did you get in? Actually when did either of you get in?" She narrowed her eyes at the Nara genius and then at her brown haired team mate.

"Me and Choji got in together, you must have been pretty distracted to not notice … or maybe that hair really does impair your vision..I mean Cho for one isn't exactly hard to miss." Shikamaru shook his head and walked over to the counter Ino was working on, "Any reason you're cooped up in the shop in a nice day like this?"

"Well it is the Yamanaka Flower Shop and I am Ino Yamanaka, isn't that reason enough for me to be here?" Ino put the flower arrangement aside and stepped away from the counter, putting her hands on her hips she added coldly, "Anyways, it's not like either of you give me the time of day so where else would I be?"

The truth in her words seemed to have taken both the men aback who looked away guiltily.

"It's not like that Ino, I've just been really busy with clan duties!" Choji shuffled his feet clearly feeling bad about neglecting his friend.

"Yeah don't be such a drag Ino, you have any idea how annoying Jonin duties are?" Shikamaru grimaced.

"Excuses excuses." Ino muttered darkly as she wiped her hands on her apron.

" Your mother sent us over with food." Choji tried his best to diffuse the tension with the only way he knew how: with mention of food; as he gestured towards the packages in his left hand, "You hungry?"

Ino eyed him apprehensively but then the rumble in her stomach gave her away, reminding her that she hadn't eaten all day.

Sighing in resignation she turned the shop sign to "closed" and motioned her team mates to follow her into the back room.

There on the neat little table the three friends sat down to share the meal but for once there was no loud chatter, no Shikamaru complaining about how troublesome things were or how the meal was a drag, no angry counters and accusations from Ino and no stressed out Choji trying to placate the two. The silence bore down on her, and she could sense the real reason behind their little visit would soon prop up.

"Go on say it, I can't stand the quiet like it is." She finally cracked and broke the silence.

"W-What d'you mean?" Choji tried to feign ignorance as he quickly stuffed another rice ball in his mouth.

Ino tapped her nails on the table impatiently, Choji clearly wasn't the mastermind behind this no, she turned her attention to Shikamaru and narrowed her eyes, "Out with it Nara."

Shikamaru groaned and shook his head, "Ugh, why do I always have to do the explaining. Cho you pick real convenient times to stuff your face."

Ino put her chopsticks down and pressed her team mates, "Well what is it?"

"Sakura talked to me about your little fainting stint at the hospital... apparently you had an incident earlier today that made her feel like we needed a talk." Shikamaru looked straight at her.

"That little pink ...uh that totally goes against doctor patient privacy!" Ino gritted her teeth.

She was not a child she could take care of herself, the idea that the Pinkette thought it was necessary to inform her team mates made her feel like some sort of invalid.

"Don't be angry at Sakura, she was speaking as your friend not your doctor, she's worried about you. We all are." Choji answered meekly, " Is everything okay?"

The genuine concern in Choji's tone and his earnest expression dulled her initial outrage, "I'm fine Choji, was just exhausted." She used her most reassuring smile, "Really I'm fine."

"So this has nothing to do with the fact that you're avoiding Sai?"

Shikamaru's question blindsided her and she felt her jaw tighten, "Excuse me?"

"Any particular reason you're not visiting him today despite the fact that he's still recovering in the hospital and you don't seem to have much to do?" Shikamaru watched her closely as he said each word.

Ino knew better than to try to outsmart Shikamaru, she was sure he knew full well that the fact that she as avoiding Sai had a lot to do with her passing out.

"Waait, hold on… What does Sai have to do with anything?" Choji piped up suddenly.

"Oh, yeah I forgot we didn't fill you in yet. Ino likes Sai." Shikamaru turned back to Ino, "So as I was saying-"

"Wait what? Ino likes a lot of things… define like? Like Sasuke like?" Choji interrupted rubbing his temples.

"I mean when you put it like that it sounds trivial. She was a kid when she liked him." Shikamaru made a flippant gesture with his hands.

"Yeah that's true… but you're saying Ino's really into Sai then?"

"Oh yeah. The whole I-want-your-children shebang I suppose.. you know how women are. Such a drag."

"Ahem, ahem…" Ino cleared her throat gruffly, "STOP TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I'M NOT HERE!"

"You don't have to yell, I was just bringing Cho up to date." Shikamaru winced, "But seriously Ino what in the world happened?"

"Nothing happened. He just wants me to leave him alone, I'm just doing like he asked." She snapped at him.

Like hell if she knew what happened.

"You sure it wasn't just a misunderstanding?" The Jonin asked skeptically.

"Well seeing as he specifically asked me to leave, I'd think no." Ino spat, her patience wearing thin.

Choji started to nervously stuff more rice balls in his mouth as the tension in the room started to build up again.

"Man that's just messed up I was certain he liked you." Shikamaru muttered as he shook his head.

"What?!" Ino slammed her hands down on the table, "What are you not telling me Shika?"

"Uh this is gonna be a real drag." The dark haired shinobi took a deep breath before starting, "Look, I thought you two would probably talk it over by now… Man I hate being in the middle of these things…"

"Get to the point Nara!" Ino hissed.

"So during our last mission… you know the one where Sai tagged along." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, after you did the switch… he helped me carry you …drew one of his bird things… made traveling lugging you around real easy."

Ino rolled her eyes, Shikamaru was uncharacteristically wasting more time than necessary on this, "Get to the part where you're 'certain' he likes me already!"

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, "I'm sorry do you want to do all the talking? Or should I continue?"

"Sorry." Ino grudgingly apologized, then shot Choji a glare when she noticed him stifling a chuckle.

"As I was saying, he helped carry you and since he seemed pretty capable of keeping you safe, I left you with him when I went to scout the area. When I got back, I caught him drawing you- which is not a really big deal considering he's Sai and that's like his thing. But get this when I casually call him out he totally freaks out and makes me promise not to tell you. I thought I'd tease him a bit and asked him if he had a crush on you and he actually went red. Well as red as Sai gets atleast." Shikamaru drawled like a man describing nothing more interesting than yesterday's weather, "but before he answered you signaled us."

"…Is that why he wouldn't look at me when I helped him sneak in? I mean I thought I pissed him off somehow!" Ino tried to think back, "Wait…it's still guess work at best. You can't really say he likes me based off of that. It's circumstantial!"

"Trust me Ino you didn't see him fight those guys who attacked you. If you did you'd be just as sure as I am. You don't see rage like that over nothing…"

Ino put her head down on the table and groaned, "I don't know what to think anymore…"

Shikamaru shrugged as he got up, "Look at any rate, we all know what Sai's like, even if things worked out you must've known he'd never be boyfriend of the year. He's just programmed differently."

"Don't let it get you so down." Choji added kindly, "…He's a tough nut to crack. It's not a reflection on you. We're here for you, whatever it is you need to talk about."

_Oh God. Boy-Advice from Shika and Cho? How low have I sunk? _

Ino wondered whether it would be appropriate to cry or laugh…opting for neither she stood up and shook her head.

"You guys worry about me too much." She sighed, "Thank you."

Her team mates looked relieved at her reaction and exchanged a glance amongst themselves, Ino was certain they were both thankful she didn't actually press them for advice.

She didn't need to; in all honesty. She was fairly certain what needed to be done, she had decided on that the moment she fainted.

When seeing her team mates out the door she calmly asked, "Shikamaru..when are you leaving for Suna next?"

"Huh? Uh..tomorrow around noon…why?" The Jonin looked apprehensive, almost as if he knew what she was thinking.

"I'm coming with you." She answered with as much steel in her voice as she could muster.

She was done chasing.

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**Sorry if that looked haphazard I didn't get to proofread **** let me know if I need to fix or change anything! Always open to your thoughts and suggestions!  
Review, favvie, follow Xoxo **


	15. Chapter 15- Suna pt 1

**Updated early since I felt super bad about the long wait for the fairly boring last chapter.**

Thank you for all your support, I hope you wont tire of me and keep reading this till the end :)

Disclaimer: I donot own Naruto or any characters therein. This was written simply to be enjoyed by me and anyone who wishes to read it, I make no money off of it.

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"You heard me, I'm coming with you." Ino stated matter of factly.

"Ino contrary to what you think I don't exactly go there on vacations. I already have a list of a million things to do there and I'm not going to add babysitting you to it." Shikamaru's face already told her he thought this was a bad idea.

"No one is asking you to babysit me you idiot." Ino glared, "I have it all worked out."

"Is that right? Care to elaborate?" Shikamaru still looked like he doubted the whole thing.

"You know how Suna has to ship in most of their medicinal herbs right? Well as a botanist and a medic nin I've been thinking of doing some research on their soil and figure out what they can actually manage to grow, I think it could really help lower their casualties and foster better ties between our nations. I've been putting it off for a while, but I'm fairly certain the Kazekage will not oppose this and neither will the Hokage." Ino squared her shoulders, "This isn't an on the spur thing, I've been considering it all night and most of this morning.."

"I- look I'm not saying it's not a good idea, but something like that would take anywhere from 6 months to 6 years. I mean research takes time, and if you do find something you'll have to see it through…it's a pretty big commitment." The Jonin gave an exasperated sigh, "I don't think you realize what you're getting yourself into."

"Look why don't I go and atleast make the proposal to the Kazekage and we'll see from there… You and Cho are getting busier by the day and here I am getting nowhere with anything… it'll give me a chance to do something of worth you know and right now I could use a chance to get away and clear my head." The blonde knew she made a compelling case, especially since Shikamaru was making the sort of annoyed face he always did when he knew the decision was not going to go in his favor.

Shaking his head the Nara genius stepped out into the curb and lit a cigarette, Ino allowed him the time to take two long drags before her impatience got the best of her, "Well?"

"Alright." Shikamaru dropped his cigarette and crushed it underfoot, "Just the proposal, you're not making any promises, I'll draft out a plan…ugh great I was hoping to sleep in before I headed out."

"Whoop! I'll start packing!" Ino grinned and then before he walked away she added, "You should really quit that you know."

"I have. I take the occasional drag when things get too troublesome." He shrugged and headed home.

Ino watched Shikamaru's retreating back until he rounded the corner and disappeared from her line of sight. The last light from the sunset had long since faded, it was well into evening nearing night now. She closed up shop and headed towards her own house quietly making a list of the things she needed to do before she left in her head.

It was irritating how often her mind went against her every command and wandered towards thoughts of the dark haired Root- even after her bitter experience she couldn't help feeling a dull ache at the thought of being so far away from him, especially since he was still in the hospital.

Maybe she should wait till he recovered, just to make sure he was ok and for her own peace of mind. Perhaps one little peek just to see how he's doing would suffice. Her feet automatically started to move towards the hospital without her consent.

Even now the thought of seeing him again made her chest flutter and she felt the faint beginnings of butterflies in her stomach.

She gritted her teeth as she shook her head. No, she needed to strengthen her resolve. These butterflies need to be crushed.

She took a deep breath and turned around.

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Ino lay awake in bed, staring intently at her ceiling. Her mother had surprisingly been supportive of her decision to work with the people of Suna, Sakura who she had sent a message to; seemed less so and demanded a meeting but she knew that was not a request she could accede to. She was sure the pinkette would try to change her mind and had a good chance of being successful too- given how quickly her resolve melted when confronted with her feelings for Sai.

The blonde decided it would be best to avoid her best friend for a while. She knew Sakura would not understand, the pink haired kunoichi would simply conclude she was running away from her problems- in fact that's also probably what Shikamaru thought. Even though that was what it seemed like, Ino knew the real reason- she needed space and time to really think about everything. Part of her was still hurting, the other part angry but a small tiny part of her also felt guilty- Shikamaru's words had struck home. She knew even in the best case scenario and things worked well between her and Sai- She simply couldn't expect him to act and react like everyone else- what could seem to her as an intimate gesture could be nothing more than a façade or a social experiment for him. He was still learning and coming to terms with the concept of emotions, and forcing her feelings on to him before he even so much as understood his own was grossly unfair.

As she considered this she couldn't help but think back. When she closed her eyes she could still remember the soft strands of his hair she had ran her fingers through, the faint ghosting of his fingers over her neck and the warmth of him from when they hugged. She could recall the subtle changes in his intonations when he talked, at first it was hard to tell but the more time she spent with him the easier it was to pick up on when his mood changed from the ever so slight variations in his tone, she remembered how easily he made her laugh and how quickly he made her angry with his lack of filter. She remembered how cute he looked when he furrowed his brows when he was thinking and how gorgeous he looked in moonlight.

It made her heart ache and she hated herself for the silent tears running down her cheek. She felt so silly, crying over something like this. She buried her face in her pillow as if hiding her shame from the moon itself.

Sleep that night finally came when she stopped fighting it and allowed her mind to think of Sai as much as it wanted- possibly for the last time.

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Shikamaru had come by early in the morning to let her know that the Hokage had accepted her request for Suna, he had even drafted the proposal she would be presenting to the Kazekage.

In an effort to avoid Sakura, Ino had stayed in packing most of the morning but the pinkette was not to be deterred so easily. Several times she had dropped by to see her blonde friend, Ino had saw this coming and had accordingly requested her mother to not allow any visitors other than Team 10 and Kurenai, Mrs Yamanaka though reluctant finally conceded to her daughter's wishes and so every time Saukra dropped by she was turned away at the door.

When it was finally time to head for Suna she headed to the gates to meet Shikamaru. She was happy to see Choji was there with Kurenai and young Mirai who seemed to be fast asleep in her mother's arms.

"Woah everyone's here." Ino called out when she was within hearing range, "You know I'm not leaving forever or anything."

"Still if it goes well…you'll be gone for a while." Choji replied between mouthfuls of barbeque chips, "We can't let you go without seeing you off could we?"

Kurenai nodded and smiled serenely, her intelligent red eyes never leaving Ino's face, "I will always support you three no matter what decisions you wish to take… but I must ask Ino..is this really what you want?"

A moment of silence passed, Shikamaru exchanged a look with Choji but Kurenai kept her eyes on Ino alone.

She had expected this question, for once she didn't feel her anger flare up. Ino knew this was something she simply had to do. She thought of Sakura who was now somewhat of a prodigy in the medical scene under the direct tutelage of Lady Tsunade, of Choji who would likely be clan head in a few years, of Shikamaru who was going up the ranks practically every day and Naruto was actually going to be Hokage! These were all her class mates, people she grew up with and trained with, and yet even though she topped every class second to Sasuke alone- here she was stuck in a pothole chasing after boys and there they were reaching greater heights as Shinobi in their chosen fields.

"In all honesty..I don't know what I want. I do know that it's something I have to do." She answered finally, "..I have to try atleast. If I am to have a shot at happiness I have to figure out what exactly I want, but to figure that out I believe this will help."

"All right then.." Kurenai's features softened, "I hope you come home soon, I will miss our talks and so will the little one," She nodded towards the sleeping toddler, "I wish you well Ino and hope you find what you're looking for" then leaning in close to Ino she murmured, "Word of advice, sometimes the very thing we leave home to search for, is back home the whole time."

Before Ino could react, Kurenai pulled away and Shikamaru tugged her arm impatiently.

"Alright Yamanaka we need to get a move on, Suna's pretty far." The Nara genius drawled as he pulled Ino along.

"Goodbye Ino write home to us alright! Shikamaru you're taking me out to Barbeque when you get back!" Choji shouted back after them.

"Yeah yeah." Shikamaru chuckled as he picked up the pace.

* * *

XXX

Gaara was still as intimidating as he was the last time she saw him, the Kazekage always made her a little uncomfortable so she was grateful that Shikamaru did most of the talking.

The proposal was granted almost right away, Ino was given quarters close to Temari and Kankuro's , in addition to facilities and resources for her research. The healers in Suna were also glad to be of any assistance to her.

Her first week in Suna was spent settling in and collecting soil samples from the region. During the day it was far too hot for her to spend extended time outside so she would usually get out after sunset and return at daybreak covered in scratches and dirt. The work was cumbersome but she did not mind when she returned to her lodging exhausted as it gave her less energy to replay her fallout with Sai over and over in her head.

Occasionally she would fish out that purple scroll from the bottom of her bag, the one where Sai had drawn her crying, she would trace her fingers over his strokes and wonder what was going through his mind when he drew her like that. She didn't know why she had packed that, but for some reason she couldn't bear to leave all trace of him behind.

It was strange but she somehow felt like she was with him, when she looked at the scroll. Her imagination must have ran wild with the thought since sometimes she could swear she saw some of Sai's small ink birds in the sky or pecking at her window, but they'd always disappear in the blink of an eye.

Sometimes she would wonder how he was doing. If there were people checking up on him. If he had recovered properly by now. Sometimes she wondered if he had enough people to talk to, if he was getting lonely. Sometimes she even wondered if he thought about her, like she was of him.

And those "sometimes" would usually sneak up on her when she least expected it, like right now when she was mid sentence.

"Yo I'm talking here." Kankuro raised his voice making Ino cringe.

"I was listening." She lied as she washed the dirt from under her nails in the kitchen sink.

"Are all kunoichis from the Leaf this bad at lying?" The puppet master snorted indelicately and leaned against the door frame.

"Are all shinobi from the Sand this annoying?" The blonde countered raising an eye brow.

"Tch. Whatever. Temari wanted to know if you'd join us for lunch today." Kankuro turned and headed out.

"Er..I just got home…I was thinking of catching up on some sleep…"

"Let me rephrase. It was my bad making it sound like a question. Temari's not asking, she's telling." With that the Sand shinobi left.

Ino groaned, her limbs were sore from digging up soil and plant samples all night. She craved for a nice long shower followed by a rushed meal and sleep…lots and lots of sleep. But no, she could never get what she wanted could she?

It wasn't like she didn't like Temari. In fact, she thought quite highly of the eldest Sand sibling. Sure she was reserved, a bit bossy and looked intimidating but within the first few days she discovered Temari too had a lot of admiration and interest in flowers- not as much as herself ofcourse, but then there were few who were that passionate about flora- at any rate having knowing that they had something in common made her much easier to like and get along with.

Still… it wasn't like they were best friends or anything. And to be completely honest the woman was too uptight for Ino's tastes, but she was a good match for Shika that was obvious.

And so it was that she found herself heading to lunch at Temari's behest- out of regard for Shikamaru more than anything- despite every cell in her body screaming at her to blowoff the stupid lunch date and get some sleep.

_The things I do for friends. _She found herself thinking bitterly.

* * *

XXXX

"Made any progress Ino?" Temari asked politely as she passed the bowl of rice along the table.

"I'm looking into a sub species of cacti right now, looks promising but well time will tell." Ino replied as she pushed her food around in her plate- Temari always put too much on her plate.

"Ah I see, well let me know if you need anything." The older blonde nodded seriously.

Ino could feel the awkwardness start to creep in, since Shikamaru was done with his duties he had returned to Konoha earlier in the week, he probably told Temari to keep an eye on her since she couldn't think of any other reason for the constant lunch dates and random drop ins from the sand siblings.

"Thanks for all your help, the food is great." Ino chirped as Kankuro stifled a snicker.

"Something wrong brother dear?" Temari's voice went dangerously sweet.

Despite spending only a little over a week here, Ino already knew this did not bode well for Kankuro.

"Oh no no. Nothing at all. Just watching you play mother hen." Kankuro grinned and ducked the chopsticks his sister threw, "Hey now, we have a guest! She's going to think Sand Nin have no manners!"

"Well seeing as she's already met you, she probably thinks that anyways." Temari glowered.

"…uh umm how's the Kazekage doing?" Ino quickly changed the subject before things escalated like they usually did between Temari and Kankuro.

"Oh Gaara? Yeah he's alright I guess, pretty much lives in his office." Kankuro looked out the window towards the round building.

"Speaking of Gaara he wanted to see you yesterday didn't he?" Temari suddenly turned serious, "Is everything alright?"

"Oh..yeah..It's-" He cast a furtive look at Ino before stopping.

"Er I guess I should leave about now." Ino quickly got up catching on the hint to Kankuro's surprise.

"No No..its not like we don't trust you.. it's.." The puppet master exclaimed.

"Hey now, don't apologize. I totally understand, sensitive matters of the state are best kept within borders. My father worked in the intelligence division, he wouldn't even tell me and mom about half the things he did." Ino gave her best reassuring smile.

"It's not that.. you see… well our scouts spotted Sasuke Uchiha nearby."

"WHAT?" Temari and Ino shouted in unison.

_Sasuke? Here? Now? Why? _

Her mind reeled; she felt a painful knot in her stomach. She hadn't seen Sasuke in ages, she should be elated right? Somehow she ended up feeling a sense of dread.

Part of her was still too embarrassed to look Sasuke in the eye, and it had nothing to do with his Sharingan. She knew full well the Uchiha probably didn't even remember her name properly but the idea of bumping into a guy you chased over half your life and that too a guy who was going to marry your best friend soon; was not something she looked forward to.

_Also there was the whole, he totally tried to kill us all thing too. _

"Yeah I know you guys have a history.." Kankuro looked at Ino apologetically.

Ino looked down, not sure why she felt ashamed. She had harbored feelings for Sasuke for so long it became second nature to her, at some point it was all that kept her going. She couldn't help think of the time Kiba yelled at her for crying over him when they were talking about taking Sasuke down after he defected, or how worried Shika and Cho were when she rushed to the Uchiha when she saw him in the battle field. But things had changed now, especially after the war.

"I-it's fine. Really." Ino smiled weakly.

"Hmm, but you like Sai now right?" Temari eyed her warily.

"Excuse me?" Ino choked out, she couldn't believe Shikamaru told **her. **

"You're not still hung up on Sasuke are you? You have feelings for Sai now right? That pale guy who was in that Anbu offshoot." Temari watched her reactions closely.

"Wait, hold on. You like that weirdo?" Kankuro turned to Ino in disbelief, "Seriously? I mean for starters have you seen how that guy dresses?"

"That's rich coming from you."Anger bubbled up unbidden and Ino saw red, she snapped, "A guy who wears more make up than I do lecturing me about how a guy should dress."

Temari looked like she was fighting a smile, Kankuro on the other hand stood up and looked affronted.

"Look here, I've fought alongside him and I'll tell you he's not right in the head. Don't get me wrong he's useful in a fight but trust me, he has more issues than you can count."The puppet master's features softened, "Ino, I'm not trying to make you feel bad, but take it from someone who grew up with Gaara, some people can never become completely normal no matter how bad they or those around them want to. The damage that has been done to them isn't so easily overcome. Just look at your own Sasuke."

"Sai is NOT Sasuke. You don't know anything about him. He's been through more than most of us put together- and he's never.. NEVER turned his back on us. He had everything taken from him; his parents, his only friend and brother, even his very emotions to serve our village- and despite everything he's lost in the process of serving the village he never … he never tried to h-harm us. He's different. He's kind. He s-smiles even when he's hurting just to be accepted.." Ino choked out through the tears.

"Kankuro look what you did now!" Temari put her arm around the younger blonde and glared at her brother, "No I don't want to hear your excuses, you're cleaning up and doing the dishes, I'll walk Ino to her quarters."

Kankuro opened and closed his mouth several times before he huffed and started clearing the table as Temari lead Ino out the door.

Ino rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands and apologized profusely, "I'm really sorry you had to see that.."

"Nonsense. Why are you apologizing? Kankuro is an idiot, I should apologize." The eldest Sand sibling smiled at her.

"No please don't.. he..had a point I know." Ino spoke softly.

"He doesn't understand these things, don't dwell too much on it." Temari stopped infront of Ino's door and looked back at the Kazekage office, " We… Gaara's case is very different. You must understand that, Kankuro's just frustrated with our problems and took it out on you."

Ino watched the faint hint of sadness in Temari's face and felt a pang of guilt. Here she was going off about a boy she liked and they were struggling with their own baby brother never having a normal happy life.

"He's come a long way." Ino said in her most reassuring tone.

"Yes. He really has, he's trying his best, so we try ours." Temari nodded, "I'll be off then Ino. Take care."

"Thank you..for your hospitality and everything." Ino nodded back.

"And listen… once you really start to like someone you can't really stop it… trust me I tried." Temari gave a small smile before heading back.

Ino wish she could return the smile but she just couldn't, knowing she needed to stop it.

* * *

XXX

She woke up in the evening still groggy and tired, stretching she pulled on her cloak and gathered her tools. Slinging a small knapsack over her shoulder she headed out into the chilly night.

Suna was a strange place, the days were smoldering hot and the nights frigid and windy. Pulling her cloak tighter around herself the kunoichi headed towards the cliffs. Earlier she had found some strange mosses growing in the damp caves and she wanted to investigate.

The wind picked up and she shielded her face with her arm as she trudged forward, no wonder Suna shinobi were so tough, their terrain itself was brutal. Her body was still sore and she felt mentally drained but the prospect of finally making a breakthrough drove her to push herself. When she finally reached the cliffs the sky was so dark that not a star could be seen even the moon was hidden from sight. She fished out a torch from her knapsack and followed a small goat trail to higher ground. The wind was now making eerie howling noises against the outcrop of earth and rock, the velocity so strong it was making her long hair whip across her face hard enough to almost draw blood.

The climb was steep but even given the uncooperative weather it was no more dangerous than a typical C rank mission.

When she finally saw the small opening of the first of the caves that were scattered all over the cliffs she entered it immediately. It was by no means warm but it shielded her from the relentless wind and that was good enough for now. Rubbing her shoulders she delved deeper in, occasionally scraping samples of soil in a small vial.

A soft shuffle behind her made her stop in her tracks and Ino quickly scanned the dark cave, she could sense something faint from within. Concentrating more she realized they were not people so she couldn't sense the chakra..but animals.

She started to back away slowly and turned around to see the cave entrance blocked by a lean looking grey wolf.

"Crap." She muttered under her breath, "Nice doggy..you're such a good boy…no need to feel threatened..I'm just passing through."

The wolf raised its hackles and growled.

"Oh man…where's Kiba when you actually need him." She grumbled as she started to turn, but stopped when she realized the faint presence she felt earlier was the rest of its pack.

Behind her stood 3 more wolves, smaller but just as angry.

The cave allowed little room for escape, sighing she reached for her kunai and took her stance.

The largest of them, the one pacing the entrance watched closely as the other three started to circle her. Ino considered her options, killing a hungry pack seemed extreme since she was the one breaking into their home but then again becoming dog food was a very sad way to go for a kunoichi.

Without warning the two wolves launched themselves at her. She rolled out of the way, flashing her kunai- it kept the two at arm's length but the third leapt at her from behind, it was only due to her years as a kunoichi that she could successfully dodge that last one.

She looked at the entrance again and saw the large one, likely the alpha, who was still pacing it and blocking her escape. Turning her attention back to the other three she silently cursed, she couldn't use her mind transfer technique since that would leave her body vulnerable but perhaps the mind destruction one could work.

She quickly cast the handsigns and turned the 3 smaller wolves against one another, she was about to turn her attention to the alpha when she noticed- it was no longer at the entrance. Before she could string together another thought, she saw a flash of grey and a sharp pain went shooting up her left leg.

She gave small yelp in pain then brought her elbow down fast and heard the loud whimper as it connected. The grey wolf released her leg from its vice grip but the move had cost her to break the jutsu and now all four wolves stared her down. She could hear them sniffing the air and their low hungry growls, she felt the warmth of the blood seeping though her skirt where she was bitten and tried her best to ignore the throbbing pain.

Focusing her chakra she prepared to attack again when she sensed someone, this time a person, at the cave entrance.

Before she could say or do anything - she noticed the wolves started to whimper and back away. Ino stood transfixed as the cloaked figure inched closer; the wolves turned tail and fled deeper into the cave.

Ino took one look at her bleeding leg and gritted her teeth, if this guy was a shinobi then she didn't stand a chance running in her condition. The figure inched closer his face hidden by his hood, and reached for her injured leg. Without warning or thinking in retrospect, Ino cast the hand signs for an Earth style wall to defend herself.

The cloaked figure tried to stop her but it was too late, the fragile cave walls gave in before the jutsu could be properly enacted and the ground under them shifted and finally gave away.

* * *

Ino's scream was muffled as she was pushed into the stranger's chest as she fell.

She remembered thinking of Sai, and being hit with his familiar summery scent of grass and fresh ink. It calmed her down, luckily for them there was a small pool underneath the caves that cushioned their fall.

They fell with a splash, Ino felt someone drag her through the waters and finally she was laid down on smooth damp rock.

She groaned as she tried to get up but the stranger firmly pushed her down, she felt dizzy and her vision started to focus and unfocus rapidly.

_Bloodloss. My leg. _

She tried to move her left leg but pain shot up and she felt a numbness creeping over. Looking up she saw the stranger had pushed back his hood, unfocused she could make out a mop of dark damp hair.

"S-Sasuke?" She choked out before she passed out, she felt the firm grip on her shoulders slacken ever so slightly.

* * *

XX

* * *

**Author's note:**

**Urgh I hate how I'm having to go a bit off canon-ish, since I needed a bit more drama lol. I hope you guys don't mind too much, I mean it is not completely implausible that Ino traveled a bit before settling down I guess, is it?  
Anyhow I hope you guys are liking it so far, as always your comments, reviews and messages are all appreciated :) I like how the next chapter is shaping up so cant wait to finish it so I can update asap!  
Oh and HUGE hug to everyone who followed favvied and reviewed this, I never imagined so many people would read my weird writing but thank you! I laav yew guiz. xoxo **


	16. Chapter 16- Suna pt2

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own anything or anyone from **_**Naruto**_**/**_**Naruto **_**Shippuden. All rights are reserved to Mr. Kishimoto and ..well you know the rest.**

**I quite like this chapter, hope you do too! Enjoy!**

* * *

**X**

* * *

Ino could hear someone talking but everything sounded muffled; the odd sounding voice echoed in her head, she tried to open her eyes or move but she felt herself unable. Panic gripped her and soon faded into more darkness, at some point she heard sounds once more and felt someone lift her.

She smelt it again his familiar scent of summer grass and fresh-made ink, she found herself inhaling him and strained to open her eyes.

If she could gasp she would. The night air whipped across her face as she sped through the air. The moon was finally out, a large halfcircle tonight- casting it's glow below. Despite her vision blurring she saw the dome shaped buildings of Suna ahead, approaching fast.

But there was no doubt of the rush she was feeling. She was flying… but how?

She strained to turn her head and felt herself slip, a strong arm quickly secured her closer to a very warm chest. She should have felt alarmed at the realization of another presence but she didn't. In her current state of mind she didn't find the fact that someone was holding her close odd at all, in fact she felt more safe than she had in years.

She could hear muffled noises but her ears were buzzing now, the kind of disorientation that is typical when you change altitudes fast.

Finally she mustered enough strength to turn her head, her breath caught at the intensity of the dark eyes staring back at her. Moonlight suited him well. It always had. This had to be a dream, a wonderful wonderful…absolutely wonderful dream. That or she had died and gone to heaven.

The dark hair was swept back in the wind, his porcelain face glowing in the moon like an unearthly beast. His angular jawline and cheekbones caught the light in angles that made Ino's mind turn to jelly, she lowered her eyes to the softly parted lips and without another thought purred his name.

"Sai." It came out in a sigh, the dark eyes widened as they met icy blue ones again. Something dark and feral dancing right under their surface, as his eyes raked her like devouring every feature.

_This is one heck of a dream._

She struggled to shift her body to face him, but whimpered when she once again found herself unable.

"Shh. We're almost here." His voice was rough as gravel and made her stomach do backflips.

_What an unfair dream! We didn't even get to the good part!_

She leaned back so her weight was completely supported by him, she could feel the heat from his body cover her back. The arm holding her trembled ever so slightly as she gave a contented sigh.

"Sai," She mewled, it didn't matter if it was a dream or a hallucination from bloodloss, her conscious decided to throw logic away for just a day and revel, "Turn me around, I can't seem to do it myself."

"Stay still." His growl shocked her, now she knew this was definitely a dream. Sai never talked like this, let alone growl.

_Good grief this is absurd. _

_This is MY fantasy. How can he not even want me in my own dream? _Her inner Ino hissed.

"That bad huh?" Ino didn't bother keeping the hurt from her voice, she didn't have to hide her feelings in her own subconscious right?

"What do you mean?" His voice stoic.

"Even now. Here." The blonde closed her eyes and felt herself fading again, "Am I that undesirable to you?"

She felt the warm embrace of the darkness again, her ears could no longer make out any sound and she felt as if going to sleep after a very long day.

* * *

XXXX

Ino woke with a start. Her body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat with sheets tangled about her feet. She took in the bright sunlight pouring in through the open window in the familiar little room. This was a ward in the Suna medical center.

Her mind reeled. She tried to recall how she got here but drew blanks. She remembered the cave, the wolves and…and…her dream.. about .. oh. She felt color rise to her cheeks. She shook her head trying not to think of the fantasies she kept locked in the dark recesses of her mind.

As she stood up she forgot about the sheets around her feet and fell unceremoniously to the ground with a resounding crash. Within minutes of straightening herself, the door to the room flew open and she saw a blur of pink.

"INO PIG WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?" Sakura Haruno looked furious, "FIRST YOU LEAVE WITHOUT SO MUCH AS SAYING GOODBYE.. AND THEN ACTUALLY HAVE THE NERVE TO SNEAK OUT AFTER I SPEND AGES MAKING SURE YOU DON'T END UP WITH A NASTY SCAR.. OF ALL THE UNGRATEFUL LITTLE ~"

"S-Sa-Sakura?" Ino stuttered as the Pinkette glared and pushed up the length of her hospital gown to reveal smooth expanse of skin, "W-what HEY!"

"Hmm healed about right." Sakura muttered ignoring Ino's protests, "Stop squirming piggy. You have a LOT of explaining to do! And WHY in the WORLD would you go out in a SANDSTORM?! And you were dehydrated too?! Seriously how did you ever make it to Chunin?!"

It took all of her strength to not counter Sakura with her own tirade, but given that fact that she was now aware that Sakura was the one who had healed her- Ino forced herself to swallow her pride.

"What are you doing here anyways Forehead?" The blonde kunoichi questioned her friend.

Sakura's expression immediately became more placid, "I…well… There's been a report that Sasuke's been spotted near Suna…"

"OH MY GOD! I just remembered, I think I bumped into him last night Sakura!" Ino exclaimed suddenly as she recalled the hooded figure in the cave.

"WHAT!? When?! Sai never said anything about seeing Sasuke!?" The pink haired kunoichi grabbed Ino by the shoulders and desperately looked in her eyes, "Ino are you sure?"

"Wait hold on…? SAI? Sai is here? WHAT?" Ino felt the her stomach knot uncomfortably, at her expression Sakura released her immediately and raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Huh? Well ofcourse he is! He IS the one who saved your tush and brought you back! Did you hit your head there or something?" Sakura frowned.

"WAIT HE WHAT?" Ino felt realization dawn. Dark hair, dark eyes, she had mistaken Sai for Sasuke.

_I mistook Sai for Sasuke?! In the history of things not to say to your crush this had to top it. Seriously I should die..like right now. This is the worst thing that could happen. _

_Wait so…the whole…dream..? Was that? _

_OH. MY. GOD. NO SCRATCH THAT- THIS- WAS THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN. KILL ME NOW. _

"You two are going to give other people in here a seizure." Came a low annoyed drawl.

Kankuro stood at the doorway with Sai in tow.

_OH WELL THIS JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER. F*** MY LIFE. _

"Tch. They'll survive." The Pinkette quipped and turned to Ino, "I-Ino? Are you alright?"

Ino could feel her legs start to shake, so the whole "dream" was not a dream… it all happened. She had basically thrown herself at Sai once again- he probably was using his ink birds to fly them to Suna.

_Ofcourse it was. NOW everything made sense. Good to know you've decided to work NOW logic. _

The blonde gritted her teeth as she wondered if it possible for anything to get worse than this, "I…I'm fine..I j-just feel …light headed."

"Tch. You Leaf nin are way too soft. She always like this?" Kankuro raised a brow at Sai.

Sai frowned like he was thinking and then seemed to count as he ticked off each finger, "Hmm yes I suppose, she passes out every now and then." he answered seriously.

Ino groaned miserably into her pillow; how can he talk so casually after everything. She felt positively mortified.

"Heh. Check the weather news before you head out next time- seriously." Kankuro rolled his eyes at the blonde, "Anyways, Sakura.. Gaara wants a word with you."

"Hai." Sakura nodded curtly, then narrowed her eyes at Ino, "You wait here for me."

"I have work pending Forehead." Ino grumbled trying her best to not look at Sai.

"Work can wait." Sakura's voice was firm as headed towards the door, "Make sure she stays put Sai. I'll be back soon."

"Understood." The ex-Root nodded curtly.

"I don't need a nanny!"

Ino balked at the idea of Sai babysitting her, it was bad enough she made a complete fool of herself in front of him last night.

"Well apparently you do!" Sakura hissed, "You won't avoid talking to me this time Pig!"

"Are you still mad about that?" Ino made a face, "Seriously, Im not going to fly off to Kiri or something at this state."

"I wouldn't put it past you." The Pinkette bluntly replied, before following Kankuro outside she added, "Do not let her out of your sight Sai."

_Fan-effing-tastic._

* * *

XXX

Ino sat down on the small bed and glared at the retreating back of her so-called best friend, before reluctantly turning to look at the boy who had seated himself on the chair next to the door.

Sai's face was as unreadable as always, but there was something different in the way he looked at her now, something she really couldn't put her finger on.

After what seemed like the longest awkward minute of her life, the former Anbu broke the silence.

"How are you?" His voice a level monotone.

"I- I'm okay. Thanks for asking." She answered quickly and focused her attention to her fidgeting fingers, "What about you?"

"What about me?" Sai frowned.

"I meant, how do you feel?" Ino asked meekly, feeling suddenly guilty for not keeping a tab on him after she left Konoha- he **was** in the hospital at the time.

Sai chuckled darkly shocking Ino.

"I wish I knew that." He shook his head, "It's very..confusing… complicated would be a good word."

"W-what? Were there any problems later on? Tsunade let you check out without making sure everything was fine?!" Without thinking the blonde leapt up and rushed to dark haired shinobi.

_This is all my fault. I made the stupid jutsu that made the walls cave in. I never even asked Sakura if he was alright. _

Her thoughts conjured up the worst case scenarios and she remembered her dream- the one where Sai shared Asuma's fate. Fear shot through her veins. Kneeling at his side she clawed at his shirt.

"Let me see, there has to be something I can do!" She couldn't keep the terror from her voice.

"B-Beauty!" Sai's eyes widened in alarm as Ino tugged the zipper of his top down and pulled.

He froze as he felt her fingers trace the thin scar on the left side of his chest.

"I don't even want to know what's going on…" A brisk voice from the doorway made the two Konoha nins turn their heads.

Temari stood with her hand on the door frame with an expression somewhere between annoyance and disgust.

Ino sprang up when she realized she had her hands all over a shirtless Sai.

"It's not what you think!" The Yamanaka's eyes were wide, as if she had just realized the compromising position she was in.

"Look I don't care, just- yeah not in front of me." Temari shook her head as she handed Ino a small bottle, "Sakura asked you to drink this."

Ino's face was still red when she wordlessly took the bottle.

"For God's sake, put a shirt on already!" The eldest sand sibling shot Sai an affronted look, "Not that your's covers much.."

Sai looked like an admonished bewildered puppy as he quietly put on his clothes.

Ino had to fight the urge to coo and comfort the poor confused boy.

"We weren't you know- like- I was just seeing-" Ino began to explain but was cut off by the look Temari gave her.

"Ino. Trust me when I say this- I don't want to know what you were _**seeing.**_" Temari cringed, "Just drink your medicine, that is all."

The Sand kunoichi turned heel and left a slack jawed Yamanaka.

"That woman scares me." Sai spoke up when Temari was out of earshot.

"Not as much as we scared her, trust me." Ino fought a grin.

Sai always had that affect on her, making her smile despite the situation.

"Sai, from what I saw, it seemed to heal okay.. will you tell me what is wrong? Maybe I can help?" Ino looked at him seriously once she had calmed down.

"I don't understand?" Sai looked puzzled as he stepped closer, "What are you talking about?"

"You were stabbed through the lung... You said it was complicated…" Ino looked at his chest and then at his eyes, "There has to be a way to fix it..I'll – I'll figure something out okay."

"B-beauty…I.. My lung is fine." Sai looked at her earnestly, "Better than fine! My rehabilitation was successful… didn't Sakura tell you?"

"I haven't really kept up correspondence with Sakura after coming here, it's probably why she's so mad.." She felt a pang of guilt and shifted her attention to Sai, "But you're okay! Oh that's a relief!" Ino let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, "I almost died of anxiety!"

"You were worried about me?" Sai eyes searched hers.

"Ofcourse I was!" The anger creeping in her voice at the doubt in his.

"Thank you."

Half a beat passed and suddenly, she felt his arms encircle her and pull her into an embrace.

Her mind went into limbo.

She felt the blood rush to her face and the thundering of her own heart drowned out everything else. The smell of him engulfed her, he must've showered recently- his usual summer grass and ink smell tinged with something mildly soapy. Ino much preferred the unadulterated version, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

Her knees wobbled and she felt him tense up as she wrapped her own arms around him for support.

He lowered his chin and his lips softly brushed her ear as he spoke, "I am sorry."

He sounded like he truly meant it; yet for the life of her, Ino could not comprehend what he was referring to. Then, without warning he released her as suddenly as he had initiated the hug.

Ino crumpled to the ground at the sudden lack of his form.

Before she could so much as question anything the door burst open.

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X

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**A/N:**

**Thank you for all the reviews, favvies and follows! You guys make me want to write more and more!**

**Let me know what you thought of this chapter, I love reading your feedback so reviews would be great! Thank you so much for reading my work! Feel free to let me know how I can make this story better/ correct errors!**

**Also, I want to write a crackfic with Hidan or Kimimaro in it…would love to hear your prompts/ideas/view on that and any pointers on who I should pair with would be cool too! Inbox me if interested! **

**Lots of love xoxo**


	17. Chapter 17- Suna pt 3

**Contains characters from Naruto Shippūden**** Episode #395****. If you're unsure of who they are, just google up team ameno and it'll give you fair understanding of what they look like etc. (I got lazy with descrips, plus they're not super imp. to the story, just needed them in this particular arc)**

**Sorry for the late updates, juggling classes and work. I would also like to apologize for any inconsistencies and grammar errors, I don't have a beta and I really didn't properly get time to proof read- (actually Im still fairly new to fanfiction so I don't have any idea how betas work even lol)**

*****Also if you need your SasuSaku fix give Four Weddings and a Funeral by HerosReprise a read! So good! 3 *****

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own anything or anyone who resembles or reminds you of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden.**

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XX

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The door flew open and rushed in two clearly distressed looking shinobi, one had long hair in a loose ponytail with a gaunt narrow face and hollow cheekbones, his slanted eyes were the color of mud; the other looked starkly different with a mop of messy dark blonde hair and the most remarkable dark violet eyes.

"INO!"

They rushed in and knelt at her side.

"Who did this to you?"

"Why didn't you tell anyone before heading out?"

"Kankuro said you were in the hospital!"

"What happened?"

They bombarded her with questions. Ino looked from one shinobi to the other, sighing as she tried to stand up, "One at a time, I can't even understand what you're saying!"

She felt her knees shake but the violet eyed shinobi braced her immediately, "What's wrong? Tell me?"

"I-I'm fine Koji." Ino tried to push the Sand nin away, but he held on and guided her to the bed.

"You're shaking; you're not fine at all." The shinobi named Koji spoke firmly.

"I'm calling in Ameno." The long haired nin spoke up.

"NO. I'm fine Shishio, really!" Ino was not in the mood for the lecture she knew Ameno probably had in store for her.

She cringed as she thought back to her last conversation with the brown haired Suna medic. Ameno had SPECIFICALLY told her not to go out at night alone multiple times but the Konoha kunoichi had always brushed those warnings aside.

"Are these your friends?" Sai spoke up from the corner of the room, unbeknownst to her, he had been silently watching her interact with the two Sand Shinobi.

"Oh..uh.. yeah." Ino gestured first towards the blonde and then the long haired ninja, "This is Koji.. and he's Shishio. We met during the Chunin exams. Their team mates with Ameno who is a top medic nin here in Suna."

The sand nin eyed Sai critically. Sai however looked completely unphased and gave them his signature practiced smile.

"Guys..this.. is Sai." Ino looked at the dark haired ex-Root and tried to keep her voice level.

"Oh." Shishio raised his brows.

"So this is him?" Koji however grinned confidently, walking up to the former Anbu he offered his hand,"Heard a lot about you, finally we meet."

"Nice to meet you too, Man-bangs." Sai deadpanned as he shook the hand offered.

Shishio sniggered; Ino almost fell off her bed.

Koji felt his eye brow twitch, "What was that?!"

Sai looked at him innocently, "I am sorry for pointing out your most prominent feature; I did not intend to offend you."

Shishio doubled over in laughter at this point.

"Sh-Shut up Shishio!" Koji glared at his team mate.

"I think I really like this guy hahah Manbangs." Shishio wheezed between his laughs.

"Thank you Old-man." Sai smiled.

This time it was Koji who sniggered.

"Are you kidding me? O-old Man!? I'm 24!" Shishio interjected angrily.

"But you look like you're at least 40." Sai nodded seriously.

Koji's guffaws filled the room as Shishio seethed. Even Ino was having a hard time restraining herself.

"Sai I think it's best we drop the nicknames for now." The kunoichi giggled despite herself.

"If you say so, Beauty."

"Figures- he'd name you something flattering." Shishio muttered darkly.

Ino blushed and gave a small nervous smile.

"Uhhh anyways! What are you two doing here?" She tried to quickly change the topic, the less they talked about her and Sai the better.

"Care to guess?" Kouji grinned and crossed his arms.

"You tease! Just tell me!" Ino threw her pillow at him in frustration.

The violet eyed shinobi caught the harmless projectile easily and tsk-ed, "So hot headed, and you call yourself a medic-nin."

Ino shot him a glare before turning to Shishio, "Well?"

"You were right about the moss. We have a hit. Ameno's doing the tests right now." The long haired Sand nin matched Kouji's grin with one of his own. In the background Kouji muttered "spoil-sport" under his breath.

"WHAT! Why didn't you tell me sooner!" Ino leapt off the bed and rushed to the door, "Well? Don't just stand there take me to the labs now!"

She had her hand on the door knob when suddenly she felt someone grip her arm. Turning to face the person she was shocked to find herself nose to nose with the person she least expected.

"S-Sai?"

His face was stone.

"Apologies but I can't let you leave." His dark eyes flicked to where his hand held her arm and then focused on the door, "I have orders to make sure you stay here."

"Uh you mean Forehead? Sai it's fine, I'll be right back." Ino tried to shrug him off, but his grip tightened.

"It's alright man, I'll keep an eye on her." Kouji stepped up next to her and placed his hand on her other arm, "I'll bring her back in one piece no worries."

"Orders are orders. As Shinobi you know this." Sai frowned at Kouji.

Shishio shifted uncomfortably behind his companion.

The blonde Sand-Nin took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes, "Ino's worked really hard on this and it's only fair she gets to see something come of it… So, soldier-boy I'm going to ask you to bend the rules just a bit for your FRIEND. I promise I'll bring her back before anyone knows."

"She stays here." Sai stated it like a matter of fact.

Ino could feel the tension in the air multiply ten-fold, considering Sai's Root upbringing orders were something he still hadn't learnt to take lightly- but Kouji being a Sand Shinobi probably didn't know that. She was about to tell Kouji to let it go, she could see Ameno's work after Sakura gets back anyways but before she could say anything she felt a strong tug and was yanked into the Sand nin's chest.

"Goodluck trying to stop me." Kouji replied smugly as he picked Ino up in his arms as if she weighed less than a child, then turning to his companion he hissed, "Stall him."

It happened in a flash Kouji side stepped as Shishio used a Sand lion to push back Sai. The ex-Anbu reacted quickly whipping out his brush and scroll. Ino couldn't believe how quickly things had escalated; she watched in awe as Sai's Ink lions crashed against Shishio's Sand ones while Kouji rushed her out the door.

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XXX

Kouji was fast as he hopped off the roofs of the Suna buildings, the terrain was familiar and he moved with clinical precision. He looked at the still stunned looking girl in his arms and grinned.

"This is the part where you say thank you."

Ino frowned, "Was that really necessary?"

Kouji raised his eyebrows, "Why you're welcome Ino. It was no trouble at all Ino."

"I can do without the sarcasm." Ino rolled her eyes, "..and you can put me down now."

"Tch. It's faster like this.. and I don't mind. Scared I'll carry you off?" His violet eyes glinted mischievously.

Ino swatted his arm and snorted but became suddenly aware of how close their bodies were, she had never quite noticed before how buff he was, she shouldn't be surprised since his strength was almost on par with Choji's last time they fought. Her eyes fell on his defined forearms, the taut muscles stood out and she felt overtly conscious of how they cradled her against his hard chest.

"Enjoying the view?" His voice tickled her ear and she immediately turned beet red.

"E-excuse me?"

"You were looking below and spacing out… I assumed you never saw Suna from here..." Kouji sounded puzzled.

Ino noticed he had stopped at the edge of the village on top of a particularly large ledge overlooking a small cluster of buildings ahead- the labs!

"Uh .. yeah." Ino gave a nervous laugh and mentally hit herself for not paying more attention to her surroundings.

A moment passed and finally Ino coughed conspicuously, "Umm so put me down?"

"ACK. Sorry. Phased out." Kouji released her from his arms and rolled his shoulders, "Follow me I'll authorize your entry, I don't think you're carrying ID."

"Well it was not like I was planning to be kidnapped today!" Ino hissed and put her hands on her hips, "Speaking of which you think they'll be okay back there?"

"Shishio'll go easy on him don't worry." Kouji shrugged as he led the way down the narrow path to the labs.

"Sai can handle himself." Ino quipped, "I hope he doesn't take it too far, Ameno will kill me if she has to heal more people. The hospital is under staffed as it is."

"You're under estimating Shishio." He narrowed his purple orbs.

"And you're under estimating Sai." Ino replied calmly as she ran a hand through her hair, "this is the boy who was doing Anbu level missions while you were still a genin."

That seemed to quiet the Sand nin as he solemnly took out his ID and after a few words with the guard at the door, Ino's access was authorized.

The air was significantly cooler inside, and the metallic interior was a stark contrast to the other buildings in Suna. It was like a maze in there with rows of doors down each hallway, she was glad Kouji was here since she hated having to stop and ask people for directions everytime.

Kouji led her down the halls and stopped infront of an unremarkable looking door. He rapped on it twice and a voice within called them in.

Before he opened the door he suddenly looked back at Ino, the purple boring into the blue, his voice was barely above a whisper; "I'm fighting a losing battle here, aren't I?"

Ino could barely register the words, as he gave her a forlorn smile and pushed open the doors without waiting for a reply.

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XXX

The room was brightly lit, with a gleaming stainless steel table in the middle. Metal cabinets lined the walls, punctuated by floor-to-ceiling glass cases that displayed vials and conical flasks. A fume hood lurked in one corner of the room and a large centrifuge whirred in the other, but Ino's eyes fell on the brown haired woman sipping tea, she seemed to be in an animated conversation with a tall man with mousy blonde hair and large horn rimmed glasses.

Ameno looked at the Konoha kunoichi and smiled, "Ino you're here. Quick come take a look!"

"Wow I guess I'm just part of the wall here." Kouji chuckled darkly and leaned against the door.

Ameno seemed to ignore the jibe from her team mate and gestured them towards the table.

The tall man with glasses eyed them warily as the two approached, Ino could not recall ever seeing him around the lab before- but decided not to dwell on it considering she hadn't been in town that long.

"You didn't mention we'd be having visitors today, Ameno." He said as he smiled and adjusted his glasses, his light grey eyes were so pale they were almost white.

For some reason Ino felt a chill run down her spine, she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something seemed off.

"Ino this is Doctor Taoka, he's been the one conducting all the tests on the samples you've brought in." Ameno spoke warmly, oblivious to the piercing stare Ino had fixed the doctor with.

"Have we met?" Ino asked her voice cold.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure, Miss Ino." Something about the way he said it made her skin crawl.

"Hey, take a chill pill. You're being weird." Kouji whispered in her ear.

"Hn." Ino muttered and turned to Ameno who looked just as puzzled as Kouji, "…nevermind.. what did you want to show me?"

"Remember those moss samples you kept going on about, well they tested positive for chakra regeneration qualities." Ameno beamed and pointed at some figures on a screen, "If we could harness this, can you imagine the possibilities?"

"That would be one heck of a wonder drug." Kouji whistled and shook his head.

"Indeed. And you say Miss Ino is the one who found the moss then… ah well congratulations are in order." Taoka's thin lips curved into another smile that did nothing more than creep Ino out.

She looked over at Kouji and Ameno; they seemed completely unperturbed.

_Am I the only one getting these weird vibes? _

"I propose a toast." Taoka's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she noticed that he was offering her a cup of tea, she looked the cup expectantly and the man gave a small chuckle and continued, "I'm afraid tea is all the luxury I can offer you at the moment."

She shook her head, "This isn't necessary. I didn't really do anything. My parents run a flower shop- finding plants is kind of not that big a deal."

"A florist then," Taoka adjusted his glasses, "most fascinating..."

Raising his cup he clinked his with Ameno's and Kouji's before bringing it towards her, "To Ino."

She stared at his hand holding out the cup towards her.

And then it hit her, she dropped her cup and it fell to the floor with a crash, splattering the pristine tiles with the amber fluid.

"DON'T DRINK THAT." She screamed.

But it was too late, Ameno had been sipping on hers before Ino even arrived and Kouji had taken a sip right after the toast. She had barely gotten the words out before she felt a chakra scalpel poised against her throat.

"INO?!" Kouji immediately crouched down to his fighting stance,"What the HELL TAOKA?"

Taoka stood behind Ino a hand gripping both her wrists behind her back, the other holding the chakra scalpel at her throat.

"Kouji I'm alright! Hurry help Ameno!" Ino barked the orders despite the sharp scalpel scraping at her throat.

"Wha- Ameno? HUH AMENO ARE YOU OKAY?" Kouji realized his team mate was lying crumpled on the floor, "What's going on?"

"Poison." Ino answered, surprised Taoka wasn't stopping her, "In the tea."

"Clever girl. What gave me away?" His voice was sickly sweet and made her want to barf.

"Y-your hands. They're not a scientist's hands… you..you're a fighter." Ino answered through gritted teeth.

She looked at Kouji crouched over Ameno's unconscious form and cursed herself for not noticing sooner.

"Perceptive." He replied, his breath lingering her neck, "and a beauty too…now be a good girl and show me where you found the moss.."

"Get away from her you creep?" Kouji shouted as he checked Ameno's vitals, "And what the hell did you do to her?... You won't get away with this."

"Oh? Is that right?" Taoka gave a small laugh and tugged Ino sharply making her take several steps backwards, "but I already have."

"Not if I have a say in this." Kouji growled and started with handsigns.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Taoka warned as he shook Ino roughly, "It would be a shame to slice through this pretty little neck… and plus should you really be trying to fight me now? Our little friend Ameno won't last much longer without medical attention..if I were you I'd rush her to the nearest hospital."

Kouji froze, "Bas***d."

"Wait…it's me you need right?" Ino chose her words carefully, "Let Kouji and Ameno go to the hospital please, I'll cooperate."

"Like hell I'd let him take you!" Kouji glared and stood up only to be hit by a fit of coughing.

"Ah finally, I was waiting for that to kick in." Taoka smirked and then looked down at Ino, "And look at you trying to play hero…"

The blonde kunoichi looked at the two sand nins and her resolve became solid, "Look Kouji please…do this… for me."

"I-Ino..you don't have to-" His violet eyes pleaded her.

"I'll be okay." Ino flashed him her warmest smile, "I promise."

"Touching." Taoka mocked, "Now.. I'd love to stay and chat but we're both pressed for time…Ciao."

Ino felt something go off right next to her and smoke filled the room, making it difficult to see. She was pulled and then she felt herself being led through a narrow passage.

_Taoka must know a back way out. _

They seemed to be in some sort of tunnel, it was dark dingy and narrow but Ino paid little attention. Her mind was thinking of anyway to signal someone, anyone- another part was worried if Ameno and Kouji would make it out of this alive.

"Thinking are we?" The voice came from behind her, but sounded nothing like Taoka's- it was colder and somehow darker.

Ino turned her head and gasped, even in the low light she could see it clearly. The man holding her hostage was no longer Taoka but a rugged looking man with a large scar running across his face, his eyes though were the same pale white-grey.

"Transformation Jutsu." Ino muttered.

"Bingo." He confirmed, "Now the moss, where exactly does it grow?"

"Up in the caves near the southern outskirts…"

"Show me." He pushed her through what looked like the exit, and they emerged at the ridge surrounding the village.

Ino gulped nervously, this was bad. Even if Kouji tried to get help he wouldn't know where it was that they were headed, she never really got around to telling anyone about which exact caves she gathered samples from- plus … she took another look at the man holding her captive and nodded solemnly, this guy looked nothing like Taoka and how in the world would Kouji know about the impostor?

_I'm screwed._

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XXX

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**A/N:**

**Hey y'all! I hope you're not getting too bored with the slow pace of this and I'm sorry for stretching out this story like this, I just really want to work on some Ino character development before I just go head into SAI LAAAV territory, plus I think Sai is the sort of person who takes time to get to the lovey dovey phase with haha**  
**ALSO I just got caught up with Shikamaru- Hiden stuffies and am psyched about incorporating that into the story! So if you're not caught up SPOILER alert, ch18/19 will have some tie ins with that.**

**Anyways sorry for talking so much, hope you guys liked this chapter! As always reviews, favs, follows much appreciated.**

**Review replies:**

**HerosReprise: I think it's no secret how much I love your reviews! Thank you so much for your constant support!  
**

**Nico Deh: aww sorry for the lack of fluff on this chappie but major sai-ness soon I promise. Also with grammar and English- apologies English is not my first language but I'm always looking to improve- feel free to PM me or mention in your reviews if any changes are needed. Thank you for reading!**

**DarkEmps: Thank you so much for your lovely review! I hope you liked where I'm taking this! Also I think I'll do a Kimimaro story…leaning towards a crackfic with Ino (le gasp)**

**duchessliz: Sai is so difficult to write since he's almost childish in his understanding of emotions and such**

**Phylaphy: Im so glad you like my story! I love this pairing too! Actually I love any Ino pairing (I'm a big Yamanaka Fangirl)**

**Thank you ChemistryKim Queenies Fanofthisfiction Devektra AbbyHatake and all the guest reviewers for the encouragements! Means loads! (If I missed anyone out Im sooo sorry! ) **


	18. Chapter 18- (Interlude Sai) Ache

**A quick Sai chapter because I felt bad about the late update last time. Bear in mind I'm pretty crap at writing from a guy's POV so if it sucks, Iam really sorry- constructive criticism would be appreciated as always. Also, I wrote this at like 4 am, so apologies in advance for any grammar or consistency issues.**

**BTW: Italics refer to flashbacks.**

**Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me.**

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**XXX**

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Shishio hit the wall with a loud crash, his sand lions dissipating immediately. The room was completely trashed, broken furniture, upturned bed and even a hole in the wall. Sai had about just enough time to tuck his brush and scroll away when the door opened and many worried looking medical assistants poured in and crowded the room.

"What's going on here?"

"This is a hospital! What are you doing sir?"

"You can't just-"

The dark haired shinobi sighed. He could already feel a headache coming on. Perhaps Shikamaru was onto something when he said that women were troublesome.

"I need to go to the labs, can one of you tell me where that is?" He spoke calmly, already cursing himself mentally for the headstart Manbangs had on him.

"Not until you tell us what happened here!" A stern looking woman crossed her arms.

Sai frowned, pointing to Shishio's form he bluntly stated; "He tried to attack me, he wasn't very good at it."

The medics looked like they were about to have a fit when suddenly alarms started ringing.

Sai heard the sound of footsteps, and then an out of breath Temari showed up at the doorway.

"What the hell happened here?" Temari was taken aback by the scene, then regaining her composure she shook her head, "Nevermind that…Come with me now!" She looked around the room and shouted it again louder, "Any free medic, with me now!"

"Yes Ma'am"

Before she rushed out she turned to Sai, "You too."

"I need to find Ino." Sai had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Yeah you and me both." Temari muttered as she led them outside.

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XXX

Temari led him to the Kazekage Office Building. Inside Sai found Sakura leaning over the unconscious form of a brown haired woman. Next to her the Kazekage was having a conversation with a man who was being restrained by Kankuro.

As the ex Root moved closer he caught sight of the man's messy dark blonde hair and violet eyes.

"I have to go!" Kouji tried to shake off Kankuro but unsuccessfully, "That as**ole is getting away!"

"You will remain here, that is final." The Kazekage's voice was grave and serious.

"Gaara's right! Kouji I need to see to Ameno first and there's no way you're heading out with poison in your system." Sakura concentrated her chakra and focused her attention back to the unconscious woman, "This poison is really complex, I have no idea of the side effects even once it's extracted!"

"You don't understand." Kouji shook his head and opened his mouth to argue further but was hit by a fit of coughing.

"You're in no condition to go anywhere." The Kage narrowed his eyes, "What you can do however; is tell me exactly what happened. All I know is Temari found you collapsed outside the labs."

"You might want to sit down for this." Temari hissed to Sai under her breath.

"Hm? I'm confused. . .What is going on?" The sinking feeling had started to multiply though Sai tried to keep his focus, it was hard to considering there were alarms going off in his head.

Temari took a deep breath, "The lab guards called me, they found Kouji and Ameno passed out. By the time I brought them here.. he had regained consciousness, Ameno however…", her voice trailed off.

A small cough was heard and they all turned to where Sakura was healing the Kunoichi.

"Easy there, the poison's not all out yet… but you're not in any danger anymore." The pinkette reassured.

"It was Taoka." Kouji spat as the coughing ceased, "That traitorous little sh*t turned on us, put something in the tea… I didn't even think… this.. f**k.. Ino, she tried to warn us… I should have listened."

"…Taoka…Doctor…Taoka?!" Kankuro suddenly exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know. I was shocked too." His violet eyes narrowed as his body shook in anger.

"No..it's not that… Doctor Taoka has been missing since this morning. That's why I had to call in a meeting and even had a talk with Sakura. She worked with him before, thought she might know something… but about an hour ago one of our jounin teams found his..body in the desert," The Kage pinched the bridge of his nose, "This complicates things."

"W-what?!" Kouji looked up wide eyed, "Then who has her?!"

Sai, who had been listening silently up until this point spoke up, "Her? Wait. Where is Ino?"

Kouji turned towards Sai and seemed to notice the presence of the pale shinobi in the room for the first time- a wave of guilt washed over him and he couldn't look the Konoha nin in the eye.

Sai gritted his teeth as he struggled to keep a straight face, something inside him was spitting and hissing. He felt as if there was a monster trapped inside him baring it's teeth, rearing to strike.

"You said you would keep an eye on her. You said you would bring her back." His stoic voice stung in the air.

"… Taoka…or whoever it was…He took her...She went with him in exchange of him sparing us.." Kouji's voice shook but he continued keeping his head bowed and not looking Sai in the eye; "Ameno's okay because of her…"

_And she's not because of you. _A voice in Sai's head growled. A part of him, a strange irrational part he didn't even know he had; wanted nothing better than plunge his tanto into the violet eyed sand nin.

No. This was not Kouji's fault. It was his. If he stopped her, if he had kept Ino in the room like Sakura asked… none of this would have happened.

" Wait.. Sai..Kouji.. what's going on?" Sakura looked up at the mention of her bestfriend's name, "What do you mean he took her? Sai, Ino's with you right?"

Sai lowered his gaze and shook his head solemnly.

"Ino went to the labs with me…" Kouji answered softly.

"It's my fault. I should never have left her out of my sight." Sai interjected.

_She was__** my**__ responsibility, and I **let** you take her._

"I should have paid more attention! It's on me." Kouji retorted.

Sai opened his mouth to argue but a loud thud stopped him.

"ENOUGH!" Temari tapped the ground with the butt of her fan to silence the room, "It doesn't matter what lead to this, but as the circumstances stand we need to find Ino pronto! We don't have time for your childish blame games!"

The Kazekage nodded in agreement, "Temari's right, Kouji tell me is there anything else we need to know?"

"One of Ino's samples showed chakra regeneration qualities. He was after it, wanted her to lead him to where they grow." Kouji answered the Kage.

"And where exactly do they grow?" The Kage narrowed his eyes, already expecting the answer.

"I-I don't kn-" Kouji began weakly.

"The caves on the ridge surrounding the village." Sai interrupted, then realizing that questioning looks everyone was throwing his way, he hastily added, "It's where I found her yesterday."

It was a good thing he had kept a tab on her via his ink birds, he thought to himself, this information could prove pivotal to finding her.

"Well.. that narrows things down, what with there being hundreds of caves and catacombs surrounding the village." Kankuro shook his head, "It'll take us hours to look through all of them."

"We don't.." Kouji was hit by another fit of coughing, "..have…hours!"

"We can cover more ground if we split up." Sai suggested impatiently.

This was taking too long, he felt by now he could've searched half of Suna. That plus, it was getting very hard for him to stay in the same room as Kouji and not at least smack him across the face. He imagined the Suna nin's blond bangs would probably whip across as his fist made contact, the mental image must have pleased him as he fought down a rare genuine smile that tugged at the corners of his lips.

"I agree." The Kage stood up and motioned at Kankuro and Temari, "Sakura take care of Ameno and Kouji, Temari's sent word the hospital so they should be expecting you. Temari you take east and Kankuro you can take care of the caves lining the western outskirts, I'll search the northern…Sai can you handle the southern?"

Sai nodded and was almost halfway to the door when he heard the protests.

"Kouji stop struggling."

"Calm down Kouji."

"I'm going with you." Kouji shouted at his back.

Sai didn't even turn around as he bluntly replied, "You'll just get in my way." and then the words that even surprised himself left his lips, "and I don't trust myself to not bury my tanto in your back."

He wasn't sure if anyone caught the last part, and quite frankly he didn't care.

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XXXX

Sai could see the line of caves in sight as the ink bird carried him swiftly through the air. Something in him was convinced Ino was in the cave he found her in last night.

He was still angry at himself for letting her go with the sand Ninja called Kouji, anger was one of first few emotions he properly identified himself experiencing, so he knew without a doubt what this hissing feeling was.

Without really meaning to, he found himself thinking back to the day Ino left for Suna. He felt it that day too, anger, at Kiba for being well.. Kiba, at her for leaving out of the blue but mostly at himself for hurting her. He'd had been trying to erase the sight of her leaving his hospital room in tears, but it still haunted him. It was different from when he saw her cry beneath the trees- that seemed oh so long ago now, but he didn't need a picture this time, he could still see it in his mind's eye as clear as day and every time the image resurfaced it felt like someone punched him in the gut… because this was different- this time it wasn't just another unexplained emotion exhibited by a person… this was Ino crying because of him.

He assumed not having her around would make it easier to make sense of these strange things he had been feeling but it only made it a thousand times worse. He found his thoughts fixated on her, sometimes he would see a flash of blonde hair and find himself wildly scanning the surroundings for her face, whenever a flower would catch his eye he would recall her voice- crystal clear prattling off its many attributes and meanings, once he heard a laugh similar to hers in the market place and was overwhelmed by the dull ache in his chest he couldn't begin to explain.

Every night he would find himself lying awake and staring at the ceiling for hours wondering if she was okay, to the point of paranoia. At one point it got so bad he resorted to sending out small ink birds to check up on her, just to make sure she was alive and well. Sleep came much easier knowing she was okay- a realization that added to the growing list of things that confused him.

He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head as he recalled his conversation with Sakura. His pink haired teammate punched him hard enough to practically dislocate his jaw when he had suggested that Ino might have used some sort of jutsu to mess with his head. She listened to his descriptions of these new "emotions" he was experiencing as of late- but refused to give him a straight answer, suggesting instead that he talk to Ino and sort it out, no matter how much he tried to get an explanation from the medical protégé Sakura insisted on him consulting Ino herself.

He opened his eyes and sighed. That was another problem on its own. He never really had any trouble voicing his thoughts before but in this particular case he found the whole idea of telling Ino a daunting task. Nevertheless when Sakura had asked if he wanted to tag along with her to Suna, he immediately volunteered- his resolve was firm- he was going to a talk with Ino and get to the bottom of this once and for all.

And that was exactly what he meant to do until…

_He held her close as the ground underneath gave away, the shallow pool beneath stifling their otherwise precarious fall. He lifted her out of the water to the closest dry surface trying his best not to dwell on how closely her wet clothes clung to her._

_She was murmuring against his chest, clearly disoriented, eyes half lidded, breathing heavy. Blood seeped from the wound on her left leg, bright red against her creamy thigh._

_She struggled to get up, but he held her down- her injury though shallow was still bleeding profusely. Pushing back his hood, Sai ripped a length of cloth from his cloak and tied it around the gash on her thigh. _

_She whimpered as he tightened the knot._

_The sound made his insides squirm and when he looked at her, he almost forgot how to breathe._

_Was she really even human? _

_Everything about her seemed to scream of sin. It made him ashamed of his own body's reaction. Droplets of water on her skin glistened in the dim light, the way the flare of her hips tapered down to her narrow waist only to curve into the swell of her chest made the former Anbu struggle to rip his eyes away. _

_When his eyes landed on her face, his chest felt like it would explode._

_Her golden hair pooled behind her head like a halo, her dainty nose scrunched up in a small frown at the discomfort in her leg, her lips pink plump and slightly parted seemed to be inviting him closer. _

_He gripped her shoulders tighter in an effort to regain his composure; and then her eyes fluttered open. Their eyes met and he felt a jolt go through his system- it was now or never. He had to tell her._

_He opened his mouth but was silenced by words that left hers first. His grip slackened ever so slightly as the constriction in his chest was replaced by a cold dull ache and then to the familiar emptiness. _

'_**S-Sasuke'**_

_She went limp in his arms._

A drop in altitude alerted Sai that it was time to land, bringing him out of his reverie. He noticed his hands were curled into tight trembling fists.

'**S-Sasuke'**

He gritted his teeth and braced himself as he hopped off the back of his ink bird prematurely, landing in a loud thud. A cloud of dust filled the air as his feet callously hit the ground.

'**S-Sasuke' **

He looked up at the rows of caves that lined the ridge and took a deep breath, he focused himself to the point of meditation as he slowly pushed down any unfamiliar feelings- suppressing them as he was once taught.

His eyes locked on the cave closest, as he let out his breath in a low whistle.

'**S-Sasuke'**

Her voice echoed like a bell. Filling his head, dulling his senses.

He shook his head. It didn't matter. Nothing did, as long as she was safe.

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XXX

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**A/N:**

**I really wanted to do another Sai chapter, I'm so sorry if it wasn't very good. The ending is abrupt I know. Reviews would seriously be appreciated, good or bad. Also, I'm thinking of concluding this story in about 4 more chapters, I feel like Im probably boring you guys with all the internal dialogue happening rather than actual progress- sorry again, first fanfic I tend to over explain things... ANYWAYS Thank you so much for reading! xoxo Review pretty please (makes me update faster *bribery hehe*) **


	19. Chapter 19- Heart of Ice

**I was planning on making this a longer chapter but ZOMG when I got to the ending this had to be the most fitting end to this chappie! This is vastly different from my other chapters and I explored a side of Ino I've been dying to, I hope you guys like it- Warning, things get a little dark.**

**Thank you everyone who reviewed and followed! I'm in a sort of time crunch so I'll reply to all your msgs and reviews in the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did the main character would be Rock Lee because he is hella funny.**

**PS. Bold Italics are flashbacks**

Just Italics are her thoughts

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XXXX

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"So tell me, how does a florist know what a transformation jutsu is anyways?"

Ino stopped short causing the man behind to bump into her.

"Watch it." The scarred man gripped her tighter so that she wouldn't topple over. He no longer held a chakra scalpel to her throat and instead opted to restrain her arms behind her back as she led him to the caves.

"S-sorry, I'm not used to walking so much." Ino replied trying to keep the conversation seem natural, she racked her brain before adding,"I-I don't really know how the jutsu works.. umm my boyfriend is a shinobi."

"Ah." The scarred man cocked an eyebrow, "Well well someone's an adventurous florist…"

"I didn't know he was a shinobi until much after we started dating." she countered, the lie coming easy.

"Hn." He gave a non committal grunt.

It seemed in her best interest to not let on that she was a kunoichi, so she continued the façade of being a simple florist. So far Ino didn't even know his name let alone which village he hailed from, she had tried to get a good look at his face, but it gave little away- dark hair, light eyes, no headband. The blonde had been keeping up a steady stream of small talk to keep the man occupied as they slowly made their way up the mountain trail, her logic was perhaps if she could stall him long enough..it would give a rescue team more time to find them. The man for his part seemed to be oddly interested in making conversation but shared little about himself.

Unfortunately for her, she was running out of things to say in this rather one sided conversation. A sort of charged silence fell between them as she led him higher; they were at the mouth of the cave when he suddenly spoke.

"He a pretty boy?"

"W-What?" she stuttered, she was starting to get a bad feeling about all this and picked up the pace.

" Oh I bet he is." His breath tickled at her ear.

She didn't even need to turn around to know he was sneering, she held in a gasp as she felt him trace a finger up her arm. Gritting her teeth she jerked her head to gesture to the mouth of the cave.

"I found the moss in there." She said ignoring the way his eyes appraised her.

"The moss isn't going anywhere, why the sudden rush?" Something in the way he said it made the hairs on the back of neck stand up.

"Excuse me?" She didn't bother keeping the uneasiness from her voice, "Wha-"

Without warning he pushed her inside the cave and pressed her up against the wall, she cried out as the jagged surface cut into her skin but he paid it no mind. He gripped her hands over her head and buried his face in her hair.

"Do you know how long it's been since I've had a woman?" He nipped at her ear.

Ino felt bile rise at the back of her throat as his nose traced the curve of her neck. He sniffed the skin and pressed a wet kiss to her shoulder.

She tried her best to compose herself but she couldn't stop her hands from trembling.

"Exquisite." His voice was thick as he turned to look at her, Ino could see the desire in his glazed over grey eyes, "You can't pay women to make faces like that."

She tried to shove him off, but his grip was steel.

"Get off me!" Ino hissed.

He gave a deep throaty laugh as drew his face closer to hers, "Not pretty enough for you princess?"

"Stop it!" She wanted to yell but it came out in a high pitched scream that only seemed to make him more excited.

"Oh I do love a screamer."

She twisted her face away from him.

"Look. At. Me." He ordered as he used a hand to seize her face and force it towards him.

He brought his face closer to hers; pale grey eyes bore into her blue ones, they were almost nose to nose, so close that she could feel his breath on her lips as spoke the next words.

"Relax. Who knows maybe you'll enjoy this, I most certainly will."

Her heart thundered in her chest as her mind raced. It was the first time she realized how terribly unprepared she was, no weapons, no comrades and an enemy shinobi clearly physically stronger than her. As a kunoichi of the Leaf she had been in multiple tight spots before but never had she been at such a disadvantage. Her style was not close combat, she wanted to scream for Shikamaru or Choji- the Nara genius would surely have mapped out a plan to turn the tables and the Akimichi heir could have easily over powered her assailant- but both were miles away. Even Sakura would have sent this creep flying by now.

_What was I thinking? I've never been one for solo missions... Why did I volunteer for this? I should have stayed in Konoha. I don't belong in this situation. I'm not like them. Shikamaru, Choji, Sakura… I'll never be like them, no matter how much I will it. _

_I'm just not cut out for this. _

_I'm just not good enough._

Silent tears trickled down her face as the man ran his rough hands down her sides.

_**A small blonde boy stood infront of Iruka sensei and pulled a sheepish face after his umpteenth failed attempt at a transformation jutsu. The whole class erupted in laughter.**_

"_**I will be **__**Hokage**__**." He declared adamantly as the laughter doubled.**_

'_**I **__**will **__**be Hokage.'**_

'_**I **__**will be Hokage.'**_

She clenched her fists as she heard his voice ring in ears from all those years ago at the academy. And then a deeper voice reverberated in her head.

'_**Ino, you are strong willed, and dependable.' **_

_**He smelled of cigarettes, like always. She felt the last feeble beats of his ravaged heart as her chakra worked futilely to hold it all together.**_

'_**Don't let Sakura beat you.'**_

Her body started to tremble as she felt a small fire begin to stoke inside her, and that is when she heard _him__-_

'_**I'm so proud of you. You've bloomed into a beautiful bush clover.'**_

_**His voice never showed the hint of fear even despite his knowledge of imminent death, even with his dying breath he never stopped making her feel safe. She could still picture his long ash blonde ponytail and blue-green eyes. **_

'_**I will always be a part of you.'**_

Her eyes snapped open. She felt the raging fire of her renewed determination course through her veins.

She looked at the scene before her.

The man was kneeling in front of her, hands on her hips, nipping at her stomach. She rolled her eyes and grimaced as she assessed the situation and then she drew a long deep breath.

She threw her mind deep into a state her father had taught her when first teaching her the Yamanaka clan's jutsus. It was one that helped stop the psyche of those whose minds they wandered from influencing their own, it was a crucial technique one without which keeping sane while transferring herself into others would be impossible.

She liked to call it the Heart of Ice, since in a way she felt it similar to building walls of ice around her own feelings and emotions. She felt herself numb as she delved deeper into the "Heart of Ice"- it was like she was disjointed from her own body, like she was watching everything play out in third person. She felt a sudden calm envelop her, like everything became much simpler. Panic seemed like a faraway thought.

Without warning she gripped his hair.

He looked up at the sudden movement, shock clearly written over his face. He didn't even see it coming when she used the hands entwined in his hair as leverage to ram her knee right into his face. It connected with a satisfying crunch.

The man howled back in pain and covered his bloody face, Ino could tell from her experience as a medic nin that the force was enough to break his nose in at least 3 different places.

Before he had time to react further, she aimed a swift kick at the side of his head while he was still reeling. The force sent him crashing against the floor.

She brought herself out of the "Heart of Ice" and her mind instantly caught up with the actions of her body.

'_Go get him!' A small voice that sounded like Cho's egged her. _

'_No, Ino you need to get help. Now's your chance." A voice like Shika's cautioned._

She frowned and shook her head, now was not the time for her conscience to decide to imitate her team mates. However the latter point was valid and she turned heel to make her escape. She was almost out when suddenly felt a sharp tug on her ponytail causing her to fall backwards.

It happened in a flash. The scarred man was on top of her pinning her down, his large hands closed around her throat, rivulets of blood ran down from his nose but he seemed to not care, his cold grey eyes were enraged and she saw her own frightened form reflected in them.

"You sneaky little b****!" He glowered at her, "You're a kunoichi aren't you? Tch a damn crap one at that!"

She clawed at his collar as his grip on her throat tightened; mustering her strength she curled her fist and punched him somewhere around the middle.

The grip on her neck loosened as he coughed but Ino had little time to relish in her success before she felt his fist connect with her gut. The pain was almost blinding but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry out, she gritted her teeth and stared at him defiantly.

He gave a wide mad smile, blood glistening on his teeth, his voice was low and teasing, "You hit like a girl."

"If you hit a little harder so could you." Ino snarled as she twisted her body to break free.

"You smug bint." He hissed in her face.

The grip on her neck tightened and she felt a burning sensation as her body was cut off from oxygen. Her vision started to blur as his hands closed her windpipe off. Out of the corner of her eye she could see some movement near the mouth of the cave but the pressure on her neck caused her eyes to clamp shut. Her body screamed for air, her lungs felt on fire.

"I'm going to snap your neck like a twig." The scarred man growled.

"JUST TRY IT." She heard a snarl of a voice ring though the air and in an instant the pressure ceased.

She gasped as her system welcomed the much needed air. Despite her disorientation she felt a familiar chakra signature and her head snapped up. She saw Sai, his usual stoic face contorted in rage, tanto drawn, beneath him restrained by four ink lions was the scarred man.

"Name and village." Sai's voice was like a commandment.

"Like hell I'll tell you. I'd rather die." The man spat.

"That can be arranged."

Sai turned his tanto so that the tip faced down directly over the fallen man's heart, he was about to plunge it down when he felt a small pressure on his shoulder.

He raised his brows quizzically as the blonde kunoichi slowly shook her head.

"He was going to kill you." His voice sounded strained.

Ino didn't take her eyes off the scarred man as she spoke, "I know… "

The man seemed to have noticed Sai's Konoha headband and despite the predicament he was in, he sneered, "Leaf village? I should have guessed that's where you're from." He looked directly at Ino, and chuckled, "they let just about any wayside sl** become kunoichi these days.."

Her jaw tensed at the remark; beside her she felt Sai prepare to lunge, once again she gave his shoulder a soft squeeze. This time when he turned to face her, her eyes were steel.

"He's mine." She spoke softly, blue eyes met black ones. Sai nodded in understanding and sheathed his tanto without further inquiry.

She walked slowly to where the ink lions restrained her former attacker. His pale eyes watched her closely, a thin smile played on his lips.

"You don't scare me little girl." He hissed as he licked his bloody lips.

"My name is Ino Yamanaka..." She began calmly as she took a deep breath, slowly sinking her mind into the 'Heart of Ice', "…Daughter of Inoichi Yamanaka."

Recognition marked his features as his eyes widened ever so slightly, her father's name seemed to have rang a bell. The man cursed under his breath and Ino was able to make out the word, "Mind Walker".

Ino gave him a cheshire grin as she walked closer, and then leaned in close so that her face was inches from his. She plunged herself further into the 'Heart of Ice'. Deep. Deeper than she had ever before. All fear left her, all hesitation.

There must have been something off about the look in her eye, as she watched all color drain from the face of the man in front of her.

"I thought I didn't scare you." She commented absently. The words were in a pleasant lilt, the calmest tone she had ever heard out of her lips.

He looked away and swore under his breath again.

Ino didn't wait for any further answer as she gently lifted his chin so his eyes met hers. She was so close she knew he could feel her breath on his lips as she spoke.

"Relax. Who knows maybe you'll enjoy this, I most certainly will."

She fed him his own words before she ripped into his mind.

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**XXX**

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**A/N:**

**Apologies for short chapter, but yay for updates! :P**

**Ok action scenes are clearly not my forte but this particular chapter is so vivid in my head and I don't know if my writing did it justice. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it, PLEASE let me know your feedback via msg or review because I'm dying to know what you thought!**

**Yes I know I invented a technique of sorts; but I'm assuming if you're poking around people's heads you need to be a little disconnected from empathy and such. ANYWAYS… I'm rambling again haha sorry I'm just a bit excited about this chapter. Also I like how great y'all are, we're 19 chapters in and our couple in focus hasn't even kissed yet *sigh* Sai you slowpoke. Sometimes I just wanna go "NOW KISS" but if only it were that simple.**

**P.S: ALSO I need your help with something, while penning out the next chapter I had a few confusions. My Naruto knowledge needs a tune up and I wondering if you guys could help out. Is it ever actually mentioned in the cannon story that Ino joins the Konoha Intelligence Division or The Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force? I know her dad was in it, but I don't know if she joins or not. A lot of fanfics say she was but well I need to know if it's cannon.  
**


	20. Chapter 20- You know nothing

**A/N: Long chapter sort of, first time I actually wrote something like this so format may be bleh. Also I haven't slept in 48 hours and have no beta, I apologize for grammar and English as you know this is not my first language. I hope you like it, don't hate me for the ending pls (hides)**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Kishimoto, obviously.**

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**XXX**

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The water was cold, but it didn't bother her. She tilted her head down so the showerhead sprayed on the nape of her neck, her long wet hair formed dark blonde curtains about the sides of her face. The throbbing in her head was getting worse, she squeezed her eyes shut.

"_Ino! You're okay!" Sakura rushed into the interrogation room of the Kazekage Office Building and pulled the blonde haired kunoichi in a tight hug, but her arms immediately went slack when she saw past her best friend's shoulder. _

_Even the three Sand Siblings looked like they were at a loss for words as they stood transfixed at the doorway. _

"_What's the holdup? Ino's back right? Get out of the way..here Ameno, they said she's in here."Kouji's voice echoed down the hallway. _

"_Huh? What's everyone starin- oh my God." Ameno's voice caught in her throat, Kouji just stared mutely._

_A large man was huddled in the corner, his body trembling, eyes darting from left to right. He hugged himself tight, his fingernails digging into his own flesh hard enough to draw blood._

_Sakura was first to approach him, "Who are you?"_

_At her question he started to hyperventilate and shake violently. His eyes widened as he muttered incoherently under his breath. _

"_Madono Mitsuyoshi, missing nin, Ishigakure." Ino answered in his stead, "well..whatever's left of him that is."_

_The Kazekage was the first one to recompose himself, "I see, well there isn't much point to questioning him in this state."_

_Ino could feel everyone's eyes on her, she hung her head low and nodded, "Apologies Kazekage, I took the liberty of interrogating him already and will send you a full report come morning."_

"_Wait you did this?!" Ameno's loud whisper carried across the room._

_Ino gritted her teeth, "Yes, I take full responsibility." _

_Ameno's face seemed conflicted; Ino knew the sand nin was the type to detest this sort of needless show of force. _

"_What happened Ino?" Kouji spoke up quietly._

"_I-I.." She stuttered. _

_How could she begin to explain it? When she thought back to the events in the cave, she felt her own feet grow cold._

_She had gone in too deep, too far. She could still hear Mitsuyoshi's screams and pleads echo in her ear. When she finally had snapped out of the 'heart of ice' and saw the broken man in front of her, she couldn't even recognize him. He cowered at the sight of her, deep gashes ran down his face where he had scratched himself, his eyes open but unseeing and strangely vacant. When she tried to approach him, he soiled himself and started foaming at the mouth. The sight was enough to make her stomach turn. The worst part was, if it wasn't for Sai forcing her out of the "heart of ice"… she would've kept going. _

_Speaking of Sai…where was he? Her eyes suddenly started to scan the room for him but she found no trace of his dark hair or pale face. _

She twisted the knob to turn the water off, then leaned her forehead against the cold tile. Her breath sounded ragged, her body ached. She ran her hands down her bruised ribs and concentrated her chakra, her hands started to glow green but then sputtered and stopped.

She cursed under her breath. Everything just felt off, she was uncomfortable in her own skin. She still couldn't believe she lost control like that, it was one of the first rules of being a shinobi- to not let emotions cloud your judgment. What scared her most was that part of her had actually reveled in the torture. It made her sick. She wished her father was here, he would know what to say, how to guide her; but he wasn't.

She most certainly wasn't in the mood for the barrage of questions everyone had for her right now. Ino was thankful to the Kazekage for letting her retire to her room while they wrapped up paperwork, insisting that she get some rest before dinner.

Dinner…she grimaced. That reminded her that she was expected to eat with everyone tonight, some gathering at Temari's again.

She dried herself and wrapped the towel on her body as she stepped out of the bathroom. Her long wet hair dripped water on the floor.

"_That's enough, you can stop now."_

"_Can you hear me?"_

"_This isn't you."  
_

_Sai's voice seemed like a faint echo far away. She shook her head and pushed further into the depths of the Ishigakure traitor's mind._

_Suddenly she felt a sudden jerk, and instead of looking into pale grey eyes she found herself staring back at black ones. Sai had grabbed her wrist and turned her around, forcing her to abandon her ministrations on the missing nin. _

_Her concentration broke and she felt herself emerge from the 'heart of ice'. Immediately she was hit with a wave of nausea and when she brought her hand to her mouth, she felt something warm and sticky. Blood. Her blood. _

"_Your nose is bleeding. Is that normal?" Sai frowned and let go of her other arm, "You seemed like you were in a trance."_

_No, it wasn't normal, but nonetheless Ino hastily wiped her nose with back of her hand and tired to give him her best reassuring smile, it must have been a poor one since Sai didn't look convinced. _

_She turned to face her former assailant to change the subject but the sight of him made her knees give away, luckily Sai was close enough to steady her. _

_Everything else after that seemed like a haze. _

She shuddered and shook her head, as if it would help forget things. Even as she got dressed she could picture the man's face as she slowly picked him apart.

Death would have been a mercy.

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XXX

She wore an old T-shirt and pajama bottoms, then opened her window and stepped out on the sill. The sun had set and the evening air was cool on her skin. She shimmied a little and then hopped onto the roof of the next building.

The buildings in Suna were made of earth, most were rounded but this particular building fortunately had a flat roof. Though the night was getting cold, the roof was still warm from its hours in the harsh Suna sun.

Ino sat cross-legged, her back against the stone railing. The moon was out, tonight it was full. She could hear people talking below as they made their way home after a day of work. She stifled a yawn and rubbed her neck, it was still sore.

She sensed movement to her right and immediately tensed up. Narrowing her eyes she glared, her hands already halfway through intricate handsigns before she relaxed at the sight of the pale man stepping out of the shadows.

"You really need to stop sneaking up on people Sai."

"Sorry." He answered sheepishly as he approached her, "Everyone was looking for you."

"Oh." Ino looked at him from the corner of her eye as he sat down beside her, he was wearing a brown cloak that enveloped him chin down, "How'd you know I'd be here?"

The pale shinobi shrugged, a small ink bird landed on his shoulder and chirped, he turned to her and replied, "A little birdie told me."

They sat in silence for what seemed like ages. Oddly enough, with him silences were never that awkward. That was one of the best things about Sai; unlike most people he didn't feel the need to always engage someone in conversation.

"Where were you?" She remembered his sudden absence, "I couldn't find you after everyone showed up at the interrogation room."

"I had to send a report to the Hokage, sorry." Sai answered in monotone, "I didn't think I'd be needed there."

"Oh." Ino felt a pang of sadness. He always did put duty above all else, she shouldn't have expected him to make an exception for her.

"Is something wrong?" He furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at her face.

"N-no, I'm fine." She smiled at him.

"That's not true." He spoke quietly, "I can tell, your smile..you don't mean it."

"It's just..I.." She struggled to find the words.

"You fought well today." His compliment threw her off.

"You don't think I'm a monster?" Ino shook her head, "What I did..I…you saw him. It was terrible."

"I've done worse." His voice was soft, "What does that make me?"

Root. Ofcourse, what was she thinking.

"That was different. You did the things you did because you had to..not because you wanted to Sai." She squeezed his hand.

He seemed surprised at the gesture and stared at her hand on his, she quickly removed her hand, a slight pink colored her cheeks.

"Thanks for stopping me earlier." She meant the smile she directed at him this time, "And for the ride back to Suna; your ink birds are super convenient!"

"You're welcome." He replied, and then added, "Feel free to call on me if you're ever in need of a ride."

Ino couldn't stop the mental image of riding _him_.

_What the hell is wrong me? _

He was probably innocently unaware of the double entendre of his words, and looked puzzled as the kunoichi turned beet red. Ino was surprised she didn't get a nosebleed again, this time from her overactive imagination.

It was absurd. Even though she was tired, aching and completely mentally drained, she still felt that strange attraction to the ex-Root.

"Everyone's expecting you at the Kazekage's sister's house." Sai pointed out, breaking her out of her thoughts, "We should get going now or we'll be late."

"I really don't feel like going." Ino answered him honestly.

"Have you eaten already?" He asked tiling his head to a side.

"Uh..um no."

"You haven't eaten all day." He narrowed his eyes in disapproval, "You should go, it's no wonder you pass out so much if you're constantly starving yourself."

"Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?" She snapped, her temper getting the best of her, "Who're you to tell me what I should do? For your information, I just need some time to think about some stuff- maybe it's not a big deal to you, but I basically drove a man insane today and almost felt good while at it- SO I'm **sorry** that I don't feel like going to a party right now!"

Sai clenched his jaw as she blinked back the tears that had inevitably formed. It took a second for Ino to realize the weight of what she had said and immediately she regretted it.

She was still angry, despite that she knew Sai couldn't help being insensitive, it was how he was raised; she on the other hand had no such excuse. She was about to open her mouth and apologize profusely, something which for her was a pretty big deal- but Sai was already standing and when she looked up his face was unreadable as always.

"I am sorry, again." He said briskly as he turned to walk away but was surprised when she grabbed the hem of his cloak.

"Don't go." Her normally robust voice sounded small.

He stood fixed in place and stared at the hand that gripped his cloak for a minute too long. She immediately let go and twiddled her fingers nervously.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you." Her voice was steady though she felt her hands start to tremble, "I'll make it up to you. You're right, I do need food.. so dinner?… my treat?"

The incidents in the cave and the whole trip back to Suna were mostly a blur to her, effectively making this their first proper conversation since his impromptu hug in the hospital. Ino could feel her palms start to sweat and her heart thundered in her chest. This was odd for her, she was Ino Yamanaka, she did not get nervous around men, it was meant to be the other way around! She couldn't understand why he had this sort of effect on her- even when she liked Sasuke, she had no qualms about talking to him, sure he effectively ignored her all the time but that never phased her, in fact in their academy days on many occasions she had even gone as far as to climb onto his back regardless of his blatant annoyance. So why was it that around Sai she felt completely out of sorts? Even now she couldn't help but wait with bated breath for his response.

"I would like that."After what seemed like decades to her Sai finally nodded and extended his hand to her.

* * *

XXX

She could still feel the warmth of his hand in hers, it made it increasingly difficult to think of interesting things to talk about. They had mostly walked in silence as they made their way through the streets of Suna.

"So umm..how'd the report to the Hokage go?" Ino wanted to slap herself for the stupid question as soon as it left her lips.

_It's a freakin' report, how many ways can it go? _Her inner Ino hissed.

"Okay, I suppose." He said, "Did you get your injuries looked at?"

"Huh? Oh naah I'm good, I can heal these myself. No biggie." She assured him with a grin, as if on cue when she shifted to face him, pain shot up from where she was hit by the missing nin.

Sai's sharp eyes caught the flinch and he immediately steadied her, "You need medical attention."

"I **am **a medic." Ino countered her temper flaring, she stopped herself from saying anything else, determined to not let her anger drive her into another corner.

"Then you should be paying better attention to your own body." He answered without missing a beat.

_I'd like you to pay better attention to my body. _

The thought came so suddenly Ino couldn't even string together a coherent response. She felt the color rise in her face and quickly shook her head.

_Wait, what! No!_ She should be get angry at him, she reprimanded herself. _Dammit hormones don't sell me out like this!?_

"Your face is all flushed…are you okay?" Sai's concerned voice broke through, and she looked up just in time as he placed a palm on her forehead, "Your temperature seems to be fine."

Her skin seemed to burn where his skin made contact with hers, she could feel the heat start to pool at the pit of her stomach and involuntarily shivered.

"Are you cold?" Sai asked, without waiting for her reply he unclasped his cloak and wrapped it around her, "Is this better?"

It was warm and smelled of him, better was an understatement; heaven may be the right word. She nodded meekly anyways, not having it in her to look him in the eye.

"Is this the place?" Sai asked completely oblivious to her, he was pointing to the small pub house up ahead..

"Yeah, that's the one." Ino nodded quickly.

"Is alcohol really a good idea in your condition?" Sai furrowed his brows.

The expression suited him too well for Ino to be bristled by his question.

"Don't worry _mother_." She snorted indignantly as she opened the door, "I don't plan on drinking, this place happens to have amazing food too."

* * *

XXX

"You're serious? You're going to order…tofu? Like they have a crazy good Caesar salad if you're thinking about something healthy…" Ino gaped incredulously at the boy sitting opposite her.

"Tofu is fine." Sai nodded to the waitress.

"I cannot believe that's all you're having…" Ino shook her head in disbelief; perhaps the years of eating out with Choji was partly to blame for her reaction.

Sai scratched the back of his head and looked confused, "I happen to quite like tofu."

"Wow… Really…it's a little bland neh?"

"A lot like me then." He replied quietly mostly to himself with his practiced small smile.

"Hmm?"

"It's nothing." He spoke up, then in a bout of curiosity he asked, "What do you like to eat?"

"Pudding!" She answered immediately, "Oh and tomatoes! Especially cherry tomatoes!"

"..tomatoes…" He furrowed his brows like he was in deep thought, "..Sakura mentioned he liked them too.. I see."

His voice was low, Ino couldn't really make out what his last words were but she caught the name of her best friend and immediately perked up.

"What did Forehead say?"

"I-It's nothing important." Sai waved dismissively, "uh you were saying something before the waitress interrupted.."

"Oh yeah right, I totally forgot!" Ino grinned as she went back into her story of how she and Sakura first met.

He seemed to listen intently, nodding seriously and occasionally making general short comments, Ino for her part prattled on about everything from her first shot at the chunnin exams to mundane things like tending to plants.

They were almost done eating when Ino finally exhausted herself of most of the common grounds of conversation and brought up topics she rarely discussed outside team 10.

"So yeah basically I was kind of a spoilt brat you see, but I blame dad!" Ino giggled as she stuffed another spoonful of pudding, "He'd never say no to me, he'd always take my side when mum tried to tell me off."

"..and oh gosh, there was this one time… it was so embarrassing… he walked in on me when I was changing and I swear his scream was higher pitched than mine…" She laughed and put the spoon down, "He was so loud..and full of life… I.."

Her voice cracked and she rubbed at her eyes before the tears started to pool.

"It sounds nice..having a father.." Sai smiled, but something was different this time, instead of the practiced curve of his lips, this smile made Ino's heart ache, "It makes me wonder what mine was like.."

She stared at him wordlessly, wondering what in the world she could say to him. But she knew better, there were no words that could really help, none would bring back the childhood he was robbed of, no more than words could bring back her own father.

He smiled again, this one was the usual kind, the ones which he wore like armor- hiding whatever it was he actually felt or lack thereof, "Go on, you were saying?"

"Uh, its.. well..uh you know what we don't really have to talk right now if you don't want to."

"No, I insist. Talk."

"Oh um..I.. Hey wait a sec.. why are you suddenly interested in making me talk?" She asked suddenly realizing this is the longest time Sai has spent with her in actual -albeit one sided- conversation.

She started to sense something off and narrowed her eyes and watched as Sai scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Well you see…" Sai began as he produced a small orange book from his pocket, " It says here that when out with a woman it is very important to let her do all the talking and pretend to listen…"

"…Pretend to listen…" Ino's voice went dangerously low.

"W-wait…uh.. I didn't really have to pretend most of the time…some of the things were actually interesting."

"Most of the time?!" Ino glared.

"Uh I..am sorry? Please don't get mad." The look of fear in his eyes looked so genuine Ino stopped short.

Frowning the blonde huffed and rolled her eyes, "What kind of stupid book is that anyways?"

"Uh it's the second installment of the books Kakashi sensei lent me…" He handed the book towards Ino, the title read "Make-out: Violence" (Icha Icha: Violence).

Ino could feel her eyebrow twitching the moment he finished his sentence, she didn't even need to read the cover to know it was the one Jiraiya's ridiculously distorted "love" (she used that term loosely) novels.

"Look, I'm going to do you a favor- I'll let it slide this time and as a bonus I'll pretend that I don't know you read this." She finished with a sigh, "In exchange why don't you talk a bit about yourself for a change?"

"There isn't really anything to talk about…" Sai furrowed his brows as he always did when he was lost in thought, "For as far back as I can remember, I've been in Root. My earliest memories are of training mostly- I remember the first time I thought I was going to die, Danzo locked me in an empty cargo container when I let it slip I was scared of the dark- those 13 hours were probably the scariest of my life." He gave an empty chuckle, "Seems so silly now."

That sounded surprisingly tame to her, Ino had always imagined training at Root to be far more intense, she expected to hear terrifying tales of having to kill childhood pets or something morbid like that, comparatively being stuck in an empty dark space was pretty docile.

Ino shot him a teasing grin, "Afraid of the dark? What- were you like ten, you big baby?"

"Four actually, if I remember correctly." He replied in monotone.

Ino gasped and reached for his hand, the moment her skin touched his she felt sharp tug and her vision darkened and blurred.

_She was starving, her stomach rumbled but she was too terrified to move. Everything was pitch black and cold, she smelled rust and a lingering odor of something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She felt something small and furry brush against her skin, she jerked away and in the dark tripped and fell face forwards on the cold metal floor. The resounding clang rang in the air and she then heard the scurrying sound of small feet on metal and immediately understood what the furry creature that brushed against her was. Rats. She almost screamed but instead found a soft sobbing sound, like a child's, leave her hoarse throat. _

It took a second and then it hit her, she was the child. She couldn't move because this was a memory, and not even her own. She realized in alarm that she was in Sai's head.

Snapping back she pulled her hand away, her current surroundings came in focus and she found herself looking into a pair of dark eyes.

"I-I'm so sorry." She felt the tears streak down her face and made no attempt to stop it, the feeling was overwhelming.

Sai's eyes reflected the shock in her own, his mouth slightly agape. He recovered quickly though and reached for her.

"It's alright. I was just..not expecting that. Please don't cry." She sat in stunned silence as she felt him run the back of his hand against each of her cheeks in turn.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm s-so s-sorry." She sobbed harder, all she could think of was the scared hungry four year old trapped in that cold dark place.

"Did I say something wrong?" Sai sounded worried as he made his way from his side of the table to hers, "Do you want to go home?"

She covered her face with her hands and nodded mutely, afraid that if she looked at him she might burst into tears again.

"What is the matter?" He tried to peek past the hands hiding her face, furrowing his brows in confusion he continued, "Oh are you… menstruating?"

Ino was hit with a violent fit of coughs as she almost choked at his words.

"Sai?!" She croaked amidst the tears and coughing.

"Well, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. You should have said something, I've read women get angry and sad during this time, I couldn't really tell with you since you're always sort of angry. I don't blame you, I'm sure if my genitals were bleeding I would be upset too." He continued with his pokerface.

Ino opened and closed her mouth several times, tears forgotten amidst Sai's declaration of 'insight' into the female psyche.

_He's insane. Yup, he's completely insane._

"I am NOT menstruating!" She yelled, slamming her fist on the table.

The whole pub went quiet as heads swiveled in her direction. She felt her face go red in embarrassment and wished that the ground would just open up and swallow her.

"Sai, you idiot!? I'm going to kill you if you don't get me out of here this instant." She hissed at her pale companion.

* * *

XXX

Her body was already exhausted from the events of earlier in the day and now with her accidental trip into Sai's memory left her chakra stores completely shot too. Her legs wobbled and she felt so tired she was sure she could easily sleep through a tailed-beast attack.

"Here, let me help." Sai steadied her again for what seemed like the hundredth time, "Careful on the steps, if you break your neck Shikamaru and Choji might break mine."

Ino smiled and mumbled as he opened her room's door, "Was that a joke? Since when do you have a sense of humor?"

"I don't find the idea of your team mates killing me very humorous, but I am glad you do." Sai said flatly as he helped her sit on the edge of her bed.

"Ack sorry! That's not what I meant, I don't want you to die or something." Ino backtracked.

Sai tilted his head to a side and frowned, "I was trying to be ..sarcastic..did I do it wrong?"

The blonde shook her head, "You idiot, your intonation is all wrong."

"Hmm..I'll work on that then." He said thoughtfully as he turned to leave, "Goodnight, Beauty."

"S-Sai."

He was already halfway out the door when she called out.

"I really am sorry..for back at the pub." Her voice shook ever so slightly.

"I told you it's alright." He smiled back at her, but she knew by now his façade.

"Stop that. Stop saying that." She gritted her teeth, "How can you say that, when what you feel is so far from it!"

"Beauty- I…" He walked stowards her, confusion written all over his face.

"No, don't try to tell me otherwise." Her whole body trembled but she stood up anyways, "I saw you! I felt you! It's not _alright_! You're not _alright_!"

He closed the small space between them, she found her face pressed against his chest as his arms wrapped around her. His warmth engulfed her, he held her firm as her noisy sobs was muffled by his shirt, until finally they subsided and her breathing came in short gasps. She listened to the steady thud of his heart, the sound seemed to work in tandem with her own, slowly calming her down. She slowly circled her own arms around his waist and felt him tense up for second, it made her hesitate but when she finally held him, he didn't complain.

"Am I doing it right this time?" He asked softly, as if scared she would burst into tears again if he was too loud.

She looked at him through her bloodshot puffy eyes, "mm?"

"The hug." He clarified, a slight pink tinged his cheeks.

He stared down at her, and when their eyes met Ino felt a jolt go through her system. There was something different about his eyes, they were no longer blank slates but deep dark and wild, like a sea in a storm and she was like a small boat with no fighting chance against the current.

He dipped his head down slowly, lips brushing past her nose, she felt a shiver run down her spine and her lip started to tremble as his own were mere centimeters away. She wanted this, she wanted this so bad it ached.

And in that moment she knew, why it had been so different with him. Why her heart skipped a beat and she was reduced to babbling child next to this quiet unassuming boy.

She didn't like him. Despite her better judgment she was hopelessly and irrevocably in love with him.

_**Love.**_

And that was why even though every fiber in her body screamed otherwise, she couldn't do this.

* * *

XXX

_I can't, Sai. Not when it would mean the world to me, but could mean nothing to you._

"Stop." She pushed him off , "I-I can't do this."

The look of hurt that flashed through his eyes made it even harder for Ino to stand her ground, "I'm sorry Sai…I just can't…not when you're not even sure of how you feel about me…not when …"

"Beauty..I." His voice gave away his apprehension; he was clearly out of his element.

"Be honest Sai.. do you love me?" She looked into his eyes.

The question clearly threw him off as he looked away, "…I..I don't know."

She felt the tears start to well up but shook her and blinked them away, she knew what the answer would be, but it still hurt.

It hurt so bad, she spoke without even thinking, "I don't want to be practice for your social skills, Sai."

Sai's body went rigid at her words and he frowned, "Is that what you think of me? That I use you..for practice?" He chuckled darkly, "It's always the same thing at the end of the day. I'll never be like the rest of you. There never will be redemption for me will there? Even if I force myself to smile. It seems I'm the type of person who ends up being hated."

It was odd hearing him sound almost angry, it threw Ino off, but then stoked her even more.

She was the one snubbed, who was he to get upset?

He was the one who didn't love her.

"That's not what I'm saying! How do you think I feel? I don't want to be another one of your social experiments!" Ino retorted.

"No more than I want to be your stand-in for Sasuke!" He shouted as he slammed the side of his fist against the door frame, "I only did as ordered, I never asked to be stuffed into the Sasuke shaped hole in everyone's lives!"

Ino felt like someone had slapped her across the face. Sasuke. Of course everything in her life always boiled downed to that, didn't it? Her body shook in fury, Sai seemed to be the amongst the select few who saw more than that in her, that she wasn't just Sasuke's reject but her own person.

_How wrong I was. _

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke! Does everyone think that's all there is to me?!" She screamed.

"Can you blame them?" Sai's voice was low and cold, devoid of any trace of emotion.

That was the last straw. The sound of her palm against his cheek cut through the air like a knife.

"Don't you dare…" Her voice was low and venomous, "You don't know the first thing about me…Don't you dare act like you know me."

She raised her hand again to strike him but he caught her wrist, his voice level but his eyes betrayed his fury, "No more than you know me. A single memory doesn't make a lifetime."

She felt rage boiling in her, rippling just below the surface of her skin, every nerve was on fire, her exhausted mind and body were at its limit, she gritted her teeth and ground out the words-

"Get. Out."

He didn't need to be told twice, as he let go of her and turned heel. The loud slam of his door reverberated through the room.

She stood there fixed in place, staring at the spot he stood for what seemed like hours, before finally she willed herself to walk to her bed and cry herself hoarse into the pillow.

* * *

XXX

* * *

**A/N:**

**Ok umm so yeaaaaaah that happened, I wanted to write this differently but somehow it turned out like this … anyways….I'd love to hear back from you guys, please let me know what you think!**

**Im sorry Im unable to reply to reviews right now because my schedule with classes and work is crazy but I will reply to them all as soon as I get time, I do read everyone's reviews and it does help my writing! Feel free to give me pointers and ideas, heavens knows I need em lol Also just to answer a common question yes I will tie in bits of Shika Hiden.  
**

**Oh and THANK YOU so much for reading my work, it brings me so much joy that so many people are reading my writing, I can never truly show you my gratitude but for now I hope my heartfelt thanks is enough xoxo **

**Blatant attention whoring: Reviews make me happy, please make me happy? **


	21. Chapter 21- (Interlude: Sai) Burnt

**Hi everyone, I am absolutely blown away by all the great response this story has been getting. I'm was so happy by the reactions to the last chapter! I was fearing that a lot of people would just be all "well **** this!" and you know flip their laptops shut hahah Thank you readers, you amazing people make me want to keep writing despite all my looming deadlines.**

**Sorry for the short chapter, and super duper sorry for being so late with updates- finals week- promise to update more consistently near the end of the month!**

**Possible last Sai chapter, should be all Ino from here on end- a) because Ino is the central character for my story and b) Sai is so difficult to write hahah**

**Disclaimer: Characters are all intellectual property of Masashi Kishimoto. I am merely letting my imagination run wild with said characters. I earn no money from this but I do earn love, which is just as nice if not more :D**

_**Also this, SaiIno, shorties, peak adorbs:**_ Hands by Devektra.

* * *

XXX

* * *

Sai had no idea what had come over him at that moment. She was in his arms. So close it was muddling his thoughts. The warmth of her delicate body pressed against his own made his toes tingle and an unfamiliar heat started to pool at the pit of stomach- it was strange yet not at all unpleasant- and then she looked up at him with those clear blue eyes, mouth ever so slightly parted- he had the oddest notion to taste her, it was an urge so strong and primal he gave in without even thinking.

But she pulled away. His insides knotted painfully at the thought.

He leaned against the door of her current residence. The door he just slammed shut- possibly for good. The afterthought stinging far more than fading red mark on his cheek.

"_Be honest Sai.. do you love me?" _

Her words replayed in his head. What kind of question was that? He gritted his teeth, how in the world was he supposed to respond to that? Was it wrong of him to be honest?

"_I don't want to be practice for your social skills, Sai."_

Her voice rang in his ears making his insides roil. It stung to know that she felt used by him, he had always thought that other than team 7, she was one of the few people who had genuinely given him a chance at being normal- a chance at forming a real bond. Did she really think he had been practicing with her? Was everything so far a pretense on her end to help out the sad socially awkward Root boy?

He didn't want her pity!

His chest tightened painfully and his hands shook, he slumped down and buried his face in his hands.

"_How do you think I feel? I don't want to be another one of your social experiments!"_

_How should I know how about your feelings when I can't even understand my own?_\- he thought bitterly. His breathing had become rapid and shallow, squeezing his eyes shut he tried to clear his head but everything was foggy.

"_No more than I want to be your stand-in for Sasuke."_

The words had poured out of him like molten iron; it was like cracking open a furnace- like they had been seething inside him for far too long and were finally set free. It was so unlike him, he never let feelings override his logic, ever,- let alone during a conversation, but then again as of late logic seemed to make little sense with regard to his actions around Ino Yamanaka.

But he had said more. Angry words. Spiteful words. Words he did not wish to think back on, and she had responded in kind- clearly hurt and furious.

However right it had felt to say at the time, part of him deeply regretted making her cry yet again. He wished there was some way to make her understand how unfamiliar and confusing this was for him.

His head hurt, he stood up once he was certain the adrenaline rush from his outburst had dissipated.

Perhaps he should go back and tell her everything, explain everything, but no he couldn't. Not when she explicitly asked him to leave. Could he? She made it so clear she wanted him gone. Yet, there was a lingering feeling inside him- that the very axis of his world had titled in all the wrong ways.

A new feeling washed over him to add to his current melting pot of emotions, he felt like he was breaking. Nothing made sense.

Was this what it was like to have emotions? Is it supposed to hurt this bad? If so, how could anyone stand it?

"Please, make it stop." He whispered mutely in his own hands, more to himself than anyone else.

* * *

XXX

He found himself outside the small furnished room that was assigned to him by the Kazekage, not clearly knowing how or when he ended up there.

His body felt heavy as he lugged himself across the room and propped down on the chair in front of a small worktable. His fingers immediately reached for the brush and bottle of ink.

Drawing was always his coping mechanism but as he stared down at the blank white sheet in front of him, he didn't have the faintest idea what to do.

He dipped the brush in ink. He wanted to draw, something, anything. But all he could think of was the look on her face- he had never seen anyone look that angry, he concluded she must hate him right about now. He had never cared much about the feelings of others but for some reason the idea of _her_ hating him made him uneasy.

He dipped his brush again, but the paper remained blank.

He looked up and blinked vacantly. A moth circled a dangling lamp in dizzying circles. He watched as the circles got tighter and tighter .. until finally it got too close and the flames singed its wings. It fell to the floor with a soft thump, flapping its now useless wings futilely.

He hissed in frustration, slapping down the brush and sending specks of ink flying everywhere.

Perhaps that is what happens when you chase the sun. Get too close and the only thing you'll end up getting is burnt.

* * *

XXXX

Just when he thought he was about to snap, he heard a sharp rap on his window. His features flooded in relief when he noticed the small dog outside on the other side of the glass- word from the Kakashi Sensei- just what he needed to get his mind off the recent turn of events.

"Pakkun." He opened the window and greeted the ninken with what he hoped was a smile.

"Hey kid. You look like you just went through the ringer, everything alright?" The pug spoke gruffly in a voice that didn't quite go with his stature.

"Oh hmm I'm not sure. I've made someone very upset and…" _and now she'll never smile at me again. _

His voice trailed off as the gravity of the words sunk in.

"Ah that's a shame," The nin ken sat up on his hind legs and patted the back of Sai's leg, "Anyways, I got an urgent message from the Hokage."

Sai immediately stiffed and focused his attention on the messenger, "Is everything alright?"

The nin ken narrowed his eyes and scanned the surroundings, once satisfied that the privacy of the conversation would be ensured he motioned Sai closer, "There have been some disturbing reports, a large number of Shinobi have been disappearing and all trails point towards the Land of Silence. Also, the nation seems to be poaching missions too, but anyone sent to investigate never comes back."

"How odd…so there's no intel on them?" The ex-Root started to quickly analyze the situation.

"It's on a distant continent, communications are hard to maintain… we do know it's a samurai run nation." Pakkun shook his head, "I know it's not a lot to go on, we gathered a team of ten Anbu to investigate.."

"And the Hokage wants me to be a part of it." Sai finished for him.

_Anyone sent to investigate never comes back. _The words Pakkun spoke a second ago echoed in his head.

As a former member of the Root faction of Anbu he had willingly walked into missions that would be deemed suicidal by most, however he was different now. Now he had friends- he thought of Naruto and Sakura, of Captain Yamato and Kakashi Sensei- people who cared about him and whom he believed he cared for in return, it certainly made him perhaps value his life a tinge more but at the end of the day it was not like he had anyone to come back to. Would it really matter that much if anything happened to him? Would anyone really miss him? Perhaps that's why he was chosen for this mission, he was clearly one of the few people in Konoha with the least to lose. His resolve hardened.. only to be smashed to pieces by a faint recollection.

"_You know that it isn't true! You're one of us now! All of us would be devastated if anything happened to you!"_

_She sat on his hospital bed, tears streaking down her face. Tears for him. _

The thought of her concern over him made a strange warmth spread through his chest- but it stopped abruptly when he thought bitterly how that was then and clearly things were different now. He gritted his teeth as he focused more on the prattling nin ken.

"The conditions could be better but-" Pakkun continued oblivious to his internal turmoil.

The tone of the ninken's voice had given away how grim the odds were, but Sai was never the type to shirk from the call of duty.

"I'll do it, when do we leave?"

* * *

XXX

* * *

**A/N:**

**Short chappie but WOOHOO we've finally hit Shikamaru Hiden territory~FINALLY! Hahah  
Hope you guys liked the chapter- as always your comments and pointers are appreciated!**

xoxo

_**Replies to reviews**_

**maufullbuster21**: OMG! Thank you for that shoutout eeeeajsdjagd the number of people reading The Bush Clover exploded since your tumblr post! I can never thank you enough!

**elkyouya** : Thank you for your almost 20 reviews in the span of a day! That was an amazing feeling for me! I'm glad you like my story and to clarify – yes the Ino from ch1 and the Ino in ch20 seems so different because she has changed! She's grown and now knows she's at a point in life where she really cant take another repeat of the Sasuke fiasco (going all out for a guy who doesn't want her back in the way she does)

**PepsiColaa Soul Raider 116 SnowLili** Thank you for trying to find out about Ino's current occupation, I myself spent ages on that wild goose chase hahah. Loved your nice reviews to the chapters.

**porkycat ladycybele weekaa1313 GlitterVan Nikolai.K LoveGlutton** Your appreciation for Ino's revenge mode was just what I was hoping for with that chapter!

**hope you don't mind me not giving out individual replies to everyone , I hate not having enough time to properly thank all you amazing people the way you deserve**

**duchessliz** aww Im so happy you think the way Im developing them seems in line with cannon, I know I had to add in a lot of stuff for drama but I feel every naruto love story needs a bit of ommpf hahah

**Ireadnonstop** Im glad you liked the banter between Sai and Ino, Sai's such a riot I laugh like an idiot when writing his lines.

**bittersweet-temari** Thank you for reading and reviewing! I was so amazed when I read your review, it feels surreal knowing something I wrote made you emotional at some point! Thank you soo much readers like you make me feel so much better about myself! And and and thank you for the concern over my health, I am sorry for the late updates- but as you said Im just trying to not bite off more than I can chew right now classes and exams are craaazy!

**itchy uchiha** LOL that's a clever name! And hahah sorry for keeping you up till 6am, I hope the chapter was worth it though otherwise I'd feel awfully guilty!

**SnowLili** That fight scene tore me up when I wrote it! In my head I could picture it so clearly, Ino scared of being in a one sided love affair again and Sai feeling like no matter what he does he always ends up being overlooked. I don't think Sai is jealous of Sasuke though I feel like as someone who tries so hard to understand people and make friends it is difficult for him to see everyone *Ino* fawn over sasuke despite how shit he *was* to everyone.

**HerosReprise** You were one of the first people to tell me to keep writing this fic, so if it wasn't for you I doubt The Bush Clover would make it past ch2, thank you soooo much for everything, your detailed reviews always put a smile on my face! Every time I update I literally wait for your review because once I read it, I know for sure whether what I wrote is worth reading or not! I hope you liked the lastest chapter- as always can't wait to hear your thoughts! Much love xoxo

**Mari301 whore-sama fanofthisfiction TrashPhenom pamelaanderson deathnoteno1fan-codegeasslover Torat134 Nico Deh dax the unbelievable** and the amazing guest readers! Thank you for all your amazing reviews! Your support and encouraging words keeps getting me to update whenever I get any free time! Thank you for everything!


	22. Chapter 22- Rose tinted glasses

**Sorry for the late update! Had to read up on Sakura and Shikamaru Hiden! Yes I've decided to incorporate both in!**

**Fair warning...It's a long winded chapter but necessary for character development, hope you guys don't get too bored.**

**Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns all Naruto characters and themes. There is one Albert Einstein quote attributed to Might Gai here because neer I wanted to haha**

**Also Also, yes I know I never shut up buuuut lisssteeeen, does anyone know how this Beta thing works? I think chapters would be easier to churn out with some help. Heaven knows I need it haha **

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**XX**

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She could still smell him like he was next to her, summer grass and fresh ink – it lingered on the rough spun cloak still wrapped around her…his cloak. Part of her wanted to rip it off, while the other felt like it was the only thing holding her together.

The door rattled in its frame again as another round of knocks threatened to take it clean off its hinges. Ino rubbed her puffy red eyes and mustered the strength to push herself off the mattress, her body ached and suddenly she felt far older than her petite 19 year old body had any right to feel. She blinked at the sunlight flitting in through her window, was it really morning? She couldn't remember falling asleep nor waking up. All she truly remembered was him, and his words that cut through her deeper than any kunai had ever threatened.

The door shook again, this time accompanied by the shrill voice that could only be attributed to someone Ino knew far too well.

"Open the door already Pig! Don't make me break it Cha~!"

Ino flinched and rubbed her temples, she took a deep breath and slowly opened the door, "You break it, you pay for it Forehead."

"Well excuuuse me for caring about your sorry a- woah what happened to you?" Sakura's grin fell as she noticed Ino's swollen face.

"Nevermind that," Ino shook her hand dismissively, "What was so important that you had to assault my door this early?"

"Early? Are you drunk Pig? It's one in the afternoon; no one's seen you since yesterday- Everyone's been worried about you!" Sakura frowned.

"Oh..I-I was just tired. Sorry, I didn't mean to make everyone worry." Ino bit her lip.

"Do you still have trouble sleeping?" The pinkette scrutinized her from head to toe.

"Most nights." She answered honestly as she led Sakura inside.

"Listen, I've been thinking…"

"Hmm?" Ino looked up and was surprised by the fierce determination in Sakura's face.

"The reason I wanted to talk to you so bad. After yesterday… I mean after …"

"After I snapped and drove a man insane you mean." Ino offered to complete her sentence.

Sakura flinched but didn't contradict her, "The war's taken a toll on all of us… and some scars run deeper than flesh."

Ino knew what she was alluding to and immediately picked up on her best friend's train of thought, she nodded "I can't be only one... are you thinking of-?"

"Yes. Let's do it. We've all been so focused on healing only what we see for far too long." The pinkette's expression softened as she met eyes with her best friend, "We may be shinobi but none of us were truly prepared for the horrors of war… so many of us lost so much..I-"

Ino closed her eyes. The images replayed in her head, kunai and shuriken whizzing through the air, the sound of metal on metal or worse flesh, the smell of smoke and death..and the faces she would never forget the faces- of the most battle hardened veterans and new genin alike. Some were only children. They probably didn't know what the war was even about; their short lives snuffed out like a candle in the wind.

The stories always glorified war- honor courage and strength- or some other bullshit like that. They fail to mention how quickly the tides can turn, how even the best of shinobi can fall with one well placed attack, how much sacrifice and blood went with it. No one walks out of a war unscathed.

How do you train someone to watch their father die? How do you train them to keep fighting like their heart wasn't just ripped out of their chest? How do you train someone to be okay after the dust settles and they are left with nothing but the stench of blood on their hands?

You don't.

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XXX

The clinic was their brainchild- hers and Sakura's. They figured although the adults recovered quickly and were put at peace by the end of hostilities, children struggled to recover from the stress of the War and the deaths of those they knew. In order to help them deal with this, Sakura and Ino planned to open a clinic within the Konoha Hospital that would assess and treat children's mental health.

Sakura sat at Ino's desk already penning preliminary plans to send to the Hokage for approval. Ino sat in her small bed watching her friend's hunched over back. After the blonde had voiced her thoughts, the answer was all too clear. They needed that clinic and pronto.

Ino wondered absently whether she should bring up the topic of Sai but didn't want to side track Sakura now that she was so hyped up about the clinic. Twirling a loose golden strand she looked out the window and gasped.

A small ink bird stood on the sill, cocking its head from side to side.

Sakura seemed to have also noticed it as she suddenly got up from the desk, however she looked like she was expecting it rather than surprised.

"Oh thank God he's okay, I've been trying to get a hold of him all morning." The pink haired kunoichi made her way to the window and pushed it open, then she looked at the small ink bird and added in a reprimanding tone, "Took you long enough!"

The bird fluttered in and flew in small circles above Ino's head.

Ino blinked, confusion clearly written over her features, "Uh….what does it want?"

Sakura grinned, "I forgot you're not used to this. Paper. It needs paper to give us the message."

"Oh." Ino smiled and reached for her knapsack.

"Honestly even though Temari said he left the village last night, I was half expecting to find him here with you." Sakura added wriggling her brows suggestively. "I-Ino what's wrong?"

Sakura expected Ino to get embarrassed or at worst angry about the light hearted comment, what she didn't expect were the tears that were now rolling down her best friend's cheeks.

Ino felt like an idiot crying in front of Sakura but she had little control, "He l-left?"

"You…didn't know?" Sakura didn't bother to hide her surprise.

"I don't know anything about him Sakura, do I?" Ino shook her head bitterly as more tears threatened to spill.

"Hey don't be like that, this is so unlike you." Sakura moved to sit next to her, "I just…When you two didn't show up at Temari's last night, I was so sure he was with you."

"He was..for a bit…we talked a little…it didn't really end well for either of us." She rubbed at her eyes trying to regain her composure.

"Oh Ino." Sakura's voice was soft as she put her arms around her friend, "What did he say this time? He's a total idiot you know. Don't hold that against him."

'_No more than I want to be your stand in for Sasuke.'_

But how could she tell Sakura about that?

"It's nothing I ..- OW." She was cut off as the ink bird pecked the top of her head impatiently, "Hey stop that! Oh right your paper.."

Sakura suppressed a giggle and let Ino open a blank scroll. The bird immediately flew into it and turned into letters.

**'I cannot write much, I have been assigned a mission the nature of which I cannot disclose. The urgency requires me to leave right away, although I realize you may not wish to speak with me-. I would like to be able to if I return.**

**I am sorry, for everything.'**

His normally steady strokes seemed to be off near the end, as if writing them were a struggle. Ino stared blankly at the piece of paper; she could feel Sakura hovering over her shoulder.

"That's it." Ino narrowed her eyes as her temper flared, "That's..it?!"

"Calm down Ino!" Sakura got up quickly, "It's just how Sai is.."

"Don't 'Calm down Ino' me!" The blonde hissed as she crumpled the paper, "This says basically nothing. I'm sorry for everything? Does he even know what he's apologizing for! It's like reflex! URGH!"

"At least he wrote something!" Sakura slammed her hand down on the desk loudly, gritting her teeth.

Ino stopped short and looked at the wistful way her friend eyed the crumpled bit of paper, immediately Ino felt guilty- how long had she been waiting for a word back from Sasuke?

"I..I'm sorry." The blonde slumped down on her bed, "..it's just he makes me so angry.."

Sakura gave a soft chuckle and sat down next to her again, "I can imagine."

"Why are boys so confusing?" Ino sighed as she leaned against the pinkette.

"I don't know." Sakura answered, "One day it's like they like you, and the next day it's like they don't."

"..and the worst part is.. they're actually honest both days." Ino finished quietly.

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XXXX

By nightfall they had already sent a first draft of their plans regarding the clinic to the Hokage. Fortunately Ameno had already started working on the moss samples Ino had found and from the looks of things- progress was good, effectively relieving Ino of her duties in Suna.

The blonde was now sitting next to Sakura in small banquet arranged by the Sand as token of gratitude. The affair though in good faith was likely to be boring and tiresome, Ino itched to take a nice long shower and go straight to bed. Which is exactly what she did when the event ended with Kankuro summoning the Kazekage and his sister away for some important matters, after that everyone mostly ate and then left. As she had expected, boring and tiresome.

Perhaps this was a sign she had spent too much time with Shikamaru, at any rate it was a miracle she hadn't complained once during the event.

In the morning Sakura and Ino were pleasantly surprised to find Kouji and Ameno waiting at the gates to see them off along with Kankuro.

Kankuro surprisingly remained formal, once again thanking them for all their help and wishing them a good journey. Kouji however pulled Ino into a bear hug.

"Do you have to go so soon?" Kouji asked the moment he released her.

"We have a lot of work ahead of us, the sooner we leave the better," Ino looked at Sakura who nodded.

Kouji turned towards Sakura, "Ah but you just got here, how can you have work so soon?"

Sakura smiled politely and shrugged, "Konoha needs us."

"Leave them alone Kouji, medic nin have a lot more on their hands than the average ninjas." Ameno chided, then turning towards the two konoha kunoichi she smiled and nodded, "Thank you for all your help here."

The two nodded in acknowledgement before they started on the long journey back home.

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XXX

"You know this journey would be so much easier if we had one of Sai's birds." Sakura huffed as she stopped to catch her breath.

"It's a pretty handy trick." Ino fanned herself, the Suna heat was relentless,"He could have left us a ride home. That jerk!"

"Are you still mad at him?"

Ino glared.

Sakura raised her hands in mock surrender, "Forget I asked."

Ino rolled her eyes.

"Did you know he put Shishio in the hospital? I'm surprised Ameno didn't make a fuss about that."

"Uhh.." Ino shuffled her feet guiltily, "That's more on me and Kouji than Sai. Shishio tried to hold Sai up when Kouji snuck me out of the hospital."

Sakura raised her eyebrows.

"What?" Ino narrowed her eyes at the pink haired medic nin, "Why are you giving me that look?"

"You know why." Sakura teased as she hugged herself, and then in a mock male voice cooed, "Do you have to go so soon?"

"Grow up Sakura!" Ino blushed and kicked sand up at her grinning face, "It's nothing like that!"

"He's cute you know." Sakura piped up deftly dodging the sand, "and he's sooo into you."

Ino huffed and turned around, "I'll pass, let's get going."

"Jeeze you don't have to be so angry about everything." Sakura sighed as she caught up to her blonde friend.

"I'm not.", then flashing a dazzling grin at the pinkette, she added, "I just have qualms about being with a man prettier than I am."

"You're impossible." Sakura giggled as her friend flipped back her hair and twirled, before picking up the pace again, "it's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back." She replied, feeling more like herself than she had in weeks.

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XXXX

A week had passed and the preparations for the clinic were almost complete. The bustle of work had kept her busy enough to not feel too down about how little she saw of Shikamaru and Choji these days. Both were incredibly busy, Choji with clan activities and Shikamaru with filling in his father's shoes and then some- in particular his roles as the Hokage's advisor and leader of the Shinobi Union were taking a significant toll on him, she noted he had even given up cloud watching on most days, something she knew he loved more than anything.

Everyone was so busy. Even Sakura had thrown herself into more training with Tsunade, if it wasn't for them working together on the clinic Ino doubted if she would have gotten more than a fleeting glance of her best friend as of late.

She was back to square one, without a clue what to do with her life. The clinic was a start but she had always known medical ninjutsu was not her true calling.

_I'll figure it out..eventually. _Her thoughts tried to comfort her.

It was barely dawn. The sun hadn't even properly risen yet. Ino wished Cho and Shika were both with her at the moment, as she left a pair of white lilies next to the Konoha memorial stone. Two years. Had it really been that long since the war? As she turned to leave she felt someone behind her and immediately tensed.

"Oh, I am sorry. I did not think anyone would be here so early." The overtly formal speech and tone belonged to none other than Rock Lee.

"Oh hey Lee. What are you-" Ino started and stopped mid sentence when she noted the yellow roses he loosely held- _friendship_ – ofcourse.

Neji.

She turned back to the memorial; Neji Hyuuga- his name was carved just two spaces below her father's, not a surprise considering they died a short time apart. He was just a year older than her, and now here she was standing and there he was gone.

She felt Lee next to her and stood quietly as he placed the flower at the foot of the monument. When he rose she nodded at him, more out of habit than anything else.

"How are you holding up?" The words leave her mouth before she can stop herself, it was a stupid question, one she herself was tired of hearing.

If it bothered Lee, he did not show it. Instead he gave her an awkward half smile, "Some days I can hardly believe it, it does not simply feel real. Other days.. painfully so."

The words struck so close to home, Ino found herself answering honestly, "I know what you mean."

"Ten-Ten will bring Gai Sensei around in the afternoon." Lee seemed to be speaking to no one in particular.

"Cho and Shika will come around then too I suppose, they need the sleep." She wasn't sure who she was talking to either.

"Do you want to spar?" This time it was definitely directed towards her, his question was so out of the blue she openly gaped.

"Wait what?"

"Youth is fleeting YOSH! There is not a second to waste!"

"No seriously.. what!?"

"Training. It will do you good. I always feel better afterwards." He smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

"Training? Lee do you still train every day?" She asked in surprise.

"Of course I do!" Lee responded as if the question was absurd.

"But why? I mean for what? These are peaceful times and.." Ino eyed him skeptically, "It's not like you don't have your taijutsu down to a T."

"For myself and… for Gai Sensei ofcourse! He was the first one to believe in me and my abilities and he also taught me everything I know. It is now on me to carry on his legacy!" He responded with fire in his voice.

_Legacy. _

His words had her stunned.

Suddenly everything became so clear to her. As she stared back at her father's name etched on to the stone she realized all she wanted was for his memory to live on…through her. That's why Shikamaru worked so hard despite his nature, he was carrying on his father's legacy and Choji-he too was being prepared to carry on his one day.

She blinked back the unbidden tears as she thought back to her encounter in Suna.

The words echoed in her head.

"_My __name __is Ino Yamanaka..__ Daughter__ of Inoichi Yamanaka."_

Those were the words at which her assailant had paled, far before she so much as ruffled his feathers. And it was that moment that gave her the strength to do what she did.

She was her father's daughter- and she would never let the world forget that.

"Rock Lee…You're a genius!" She exclaimed wiping her eyes.

Lee gave her a blinding grin, complete with a sparkle at the end, "Now ready for that spar?"

Ino stifled a giggle, "I'd rather not have my ass handed to me. I don't have Sakura's super strength nor am I as skilled with weapons as Ten-Ten is."

"That is irrelevant. What others can do has no bearing on what you can do!" Lee looked at her seriously and shook his head.

"I-I … it's not that simple. You wouldn't know what it's like … being weak…feeling useless." Ino couldn't stop herself as she thought of how much stronger her team had gotten, how much everyone had grown.

"During the battle I heard you had used your clan's jutsu to take control of Obito to stop several would be fatal attacks…you even connected the first Hokage with the whole Alliance… those are no small feats." Lee looked her in the eye, "There are things you have done and can do that I could never hope to." He continued without an ounce of bitterness, "I do not have ninjutsu nor any genjutsu, never have…but Gai sensei once taught me that if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree- it would spend its whole life thinking it is useless."

And for the second time in the span of one conversation Lee had stunned her into silence.

After what seemed like forever Ino found her voice, "Lee..Thank you."

"Please there is no need to thank me." He scratched the back of his head, "In fact I have heard that you and Sakura are opening a new clinic at the hospital, it is such a splendid idea! You two are an inspiration to kunoichi everywhere!"

Ino shook her hand dismissively and almost laughed at the irony of being paid a compliment like that by possibly the most inspirational person in the history of Konoha.

"Well I guess you will not join me for training then after all?" Lee took a glance at the sun which had now fully risen.

"I think I'll pass, this fish has got to start swimming again." She flashed him a grateful smile before she headed towards the Yamanaka compound.

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XXX

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**A/N:**

**First off apologies for being so late with updates.**

**Second, apologies for lack of Sai-ness. **

**Can you tell that I think Rock Lee is the bestest ever? Hahah Just had to include him.**

**I've read this chapter once over but there may be some grammar errors I hope nothing too bad though and I also realize it is a bit well…anti climatic and perhaps clichéd too. I am sorry though if you did not like it, I just felt like the story's focus should be on Ino as a person in general and not just her love life. I think this chapter helps her transition away from medical ninjutsu for a bit and more towards the Konoha intelligence division like her father was. **

**Please let me know what you think as it is used as a basis for what I write next haha, If Im making the story boring or inconsistent please feel free to point it out- constructive critique is always appreciated!**

**And lastly thank you all so much for reading.**

**PS: Already working on the next chapter. I promise more shikamaru and sai, I am also a bit torn as I as there are some Ino-Sai elements in Sakura Hiden (which has not yet been fully translated) which I want to include to stay cannon-ish but it may slow the story down a lot more…so I ask should I follow cannon to a T or speed things up a bit because I need me some Sai-Ino action. The decision is yours I am willing to go either way! So let me know! Xoxo**

**Oh and to Nikolai.K and Mirai-kun, I donot have social media dedicated to anime/fanfiction, but I've added a link to my twitter on my profile if that's what you wanted. Anyways cheers x **


	23. Chapter 23- Team mates, Friends, Family

**Okaaay so first off, having prior knowledge of Shikamaru Hiden will make this chapter a lot more easier to follow, but it is not necessary. It does contain spoilers for Shikamari Hiden so fair warning. At the end of the chapter I've posted a basic outline summary sort of thing of the first few chapters of Shikmaru Hiden, you may want to give it a read if you think it will help, you can find the whole translated story here: cacatuasulphureacitrinocristata dot tumblr dot com (just change the dots to . and remove spaces)**

**Second, there is very slight ShikaIno bashing here, it does not in any way reflect what I think of that pairing- in the realm of this story Shikamaru likes Temari and Ino likes Sai- given that they do not have romantic feelings for each other which has been highlighted in this chapter. I do not mean to offend anyone, if you have been then I am truly sorry.**

**And lastly, there is a part at Yakiniku Q (the bbq place team 10 always went with Asuma) that has been somewhat copy pasted off Shikamaru Hiden because it was appropriate and canon.**

**Disclaimer: Characters and places are owned by Masashi Kishimoto**

**I don't have a beta, it's almost 2 am here hahah sorry for any typos. (This is the part where you, yes you, courageously volunteer to become a beta reader- and explain how that works to me lel) **

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**XXXX**

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"Ino concentrate!" The auburn haired Jonin barked.

"If you would just stop glaring at me for one second, I would!" Ino hissed back through gritted teeth.

"I am trying to help you." The Jonin pinched the bridge of his nose, "Are you sure you're the same girl who connected everybody during the War?"

"That was different, I HAD to. There was no can or cannot." The blonde squared her shoulders, "I'm trying again."

"Try harder." His response was curt.

Santa Yamanaka- for that was his name - was placed in Third Division of the Allied Shinobi Forces led by Kakashi Hatake during the War; the man was currently in his early 30s and a proficient user of their clan's signature jutsus in addition to being a skilled sensor nin. With her father no longer there to teach her, he was the obvious choice to help hone her abilities- however Santa's teaching techniques were starkly different than her father's; something Ino grew increasingly agitated with. Where Inoichi had always held back from pushing his precious princess too far, Santa sugar coated nothing. Ino's days were filled with helping out Sakura with their clinic and evenings encompassed by Santa's relentless training.

Everything about the man screamed serious, Ino privately wondered if he'd ever cracked a smile in his life.

As if on cue Santa narrowed his slanted eyes, "Try the Mind Body switch on me again."

They had been at it for hours and Ino's body ached from sitting so long. She absently let her thoughts wander to Choji- he was probably eating- her stomach growled softly at the image of potato chips.

"You're getting distracted again."

_Man, who shoved a stick up his ass._

"INO!" He glared again.

Ino had the acute feeling he probably read her mind and went pink around the ears, "S-sorry. I'm just hungry."

"You can eat after you make me excuse you for the day." His eyes challenged her to try the Mind Body Switch on him for the umpteenth time.

This was going to be a long, hungry night.

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XXXX

The good thing about having such a busy schedule was that Ino rarely had time to mope. Her work at the clinic was helping her a lot in the sense that it felt better talking to others who had lost loved ones in the war, helping them cope helped her cope in some roundabout way. The patients found her easy to talk and relate to, and she in turn felt rewarded by the progress they showed.

Today she was in a particularly good mood; Santa Yamanaka was called away on a 2 day mission, which meant she had the next two evenings free. She almost felt a little guilty considering she was the one who had cajoled him despite his initial misgivings to teach her, but yeah "almost" was the key word.

She hummed as she made her way through the streets of Konoha and stopped abruptly when she noticed something rather interesting.

A few feet in front of her Kiba Inuzuka sat on a ledge covertly eyeing a girl's rather shapely behind.

Ino cocked a brow, but before she could move she heard something shift next to her. She almost jumped back when she noticed a hooded man with sunglasses nodding to her.

"Classy isn't he?" Shino Aburame commented with a hint of amusement.

Ino fought to hold her composure, bugs and her never really mixed but from what she heard from Kiba, Shino had a tendency to get offended easily and hold grudges too, so she flashed him an awkward smile, "S-Shino hey. Uh. Er shouldn't we say something? I mean he's completely oogling her!"

"Oh don't worry about the girl his intentions aren't bad. He's just completely smitten," Shino stated in a matter of fact way, "He's trying to work up the nerve to actually talk to her."

"Kiba? Smitten?" Ino couldn't stop herself from snorting. She tried to crane her neck to get a better look at the girl, from this angle all she could see was that she had long brown hair.

As if he knew what she was thinking, Shino replied, "That's Tamaki."

"The crazy cat la- uh I mean she has a lot of cats." Ino corrected herself midway. Dogboy and Catgirl- who would've thought? Even Santa would've cracked smiled at this. Ok, probably not.

"Hinata has Naruto. Kiba has his heart set on Tamaki." Shino continued as if he didn't hear Ino, "It seems..love is in the air."

"Eh?"

Ino turned to see Shino looking right at her, or at least she thought he was, it was hard to tell with his dark glasses.

Suddenly it dawned on her that he was standing quite close to her, and her head went into full panic mode.

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

"Ino-" He started, the way he phrased it sounded like the beginning of a question.

_Nope. Nope. Nope. _

" Woah is that a green beetle!?" Ino pointed behind him.

"What? Impossible they're not from-" Shino turned around with a frown.

Ino didn't wait for him to finish as she bolted as fast as her legs would carry her.

"Huh? That's odd where did she go?" He adjusted his sunglasses and shook his head, "I just wanted to ask her to keep an eye out for rare insects when she goes to collect her flowers."

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XXXX

"…so I ran and now here I am." Ino finished lamely as Choji Akimichi chewed on the last of his potato chips.

The Akimichi compound was close and without thinking she found herself at their front gates. Luckily, Choji had finished his duties for the day.

"Shino? Are you sure Ino?" The Akimichi inquired as he licked his fingers clean.

"Why would I lie!?" Ino crossed her arms.

"Maybe he was just being nice?"

"EX-CUSE ME?" Ino snarled as she flipped her hair back, then gesturing to herself she continued, "Do you see this? I don't blame him- what man in his right mind would resist this!?"

Choji conveniently started on a new packet of chips so that he wouldn't have to reply to 'that'.

"Hmph." Ino narrowed her eyes, "We're supposed to go for barbeque tonight! You're going to spoil your appetite!"

"It's two hours till dinner, I'll starve by then!" Choji answered between mouthfuls of chips.

Ino suppressed the urge to roll her eyes as she leaned against his shoulder. This man was absolutely impossible.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly making her look up.

It had been a while since she and Choji made time for each other, it had been while since she had made time for anyone to be fair. The last time she saw him was when she went to visit Kurenai and Mirai after she got back from Suna.

It was the last time she had seen Shikamaru as well, and the memory left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She had tried to pry details about Sai's mission from him, but the Shadow-Manipulator was having none of that. Shikamaru stood his ground and chose his loyalty to his village over his loyalty to one of his oldest friends. Though Ino understood his reasons she found him hard to forgive.

Now staring back at Choji's brown eyes, she could clearly see his silent plead urging her to make up with Shikamaru. Despite his imposing the stature, the man was at the core of it someone with a kind and soft heart- it was in his nature to avoid conflict whenever possible.

"I'm fine, stop worrying so much. I said yes to Shika's invite didn't I?" Ino sighed and offered him a smile, "Even though the jerk barely says two words to us these days…"

It was Shikamaru who had surprised them both with a sudden invite to dinner at their old spot at Yakiniku Q.

"He's really trying you know," Choji continued uncharacteristically serious, "Shikamaru's determined to see all his duties through; we shouldn't make him choose between them and us."

Ino bit her lip. It wasn't like she didn't know. Ofcourse she knew the weight Shikamaru now carried on his shoulders…. But somehow when it came to Sai her judgement was always clouded. She couldn't explain why but when the first week passed without a word from him, panic had rooted itself in her. Now it was close to a month and despite being one of the few people who knew the extent of her feelings towards the former Root, Shikamaru was adamant in keeping vital information regarding the mission from her.

"He won't let anything happen to him." Choji seemed to know exactly what she was thinking, "You know that. Shikamaru would never compromise the life of any shinobi under his command."

Especially someone who clearly means so much to you.

The words were unspoken but Ino heard them all the same. She gave his arm a gentle squeeze and nodded her head in understanding.

_Never change you giant tub of love. _She thought as she fondly pinched one of his cheeks.

"Oww. Stop that Ino!" He cringed moved his face away.

"Come on lets head out, we don't want to keep Shikamaru waiting now, do we?" She stretched as she stood up and walked out.

* * *

XXXX

Ino could see the back of Shikamaru's spiky ponytail as she led Choji towards their usual booth in Yakiniku Q, however she slowed down when she noticed someone else sitting next to him.

She recognized the unruly brown hair and growl-like voice to be Kiba's immediately and signaled Choji to be quiet as she quietly snuck closer.

"So Temari huh?" The dog nin looked pointedly at Shikamaru.

Choji and Ino exchanged a look, Shikamaru didn't really talk about the nature of his relationship with the Sand kunoichi outside Team 10- even if it was painfully obvious to everyone else.

"What about her?" Shikamaru shrugged nonchalantly.

"Hey, come on! You can tell me." Kiba coaxed, though judging by Shikamaru's yawn he wasn't really interested in the particular topic of conversation, "Everyone's saying the two of you have the hots for each other- I'm just here to get my facts right."

Ino rolled her eyes, certain that Sakura or Tenten had likely talked him into getting this week's gossip scoop.

"Tch. How troublesome." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

"Personally I'm surprised. I've always thought you and Ino would end up together." He grinned at Shikamaru like he had said something particularly clever.

_Wait..what?_

Ino bit back her gasp but watched carefully for Shikamaru's reaction.

"Thinking's never been your strong point Kiba."

"Hey whaddya mean?" Kiba growled, "It's a natural assumption! You two have always been hanging around each other.. even back when we were genin!"

"You saying a guy and girl can't be friends without something else going on?" The shadow-nin retorted annoyance creeping in his voice.

"Tch. Yeah, but you can't deny you care about her." Kiba smirked.

"Of course I do. Why would I ever deny that?" Shikamaru looked him in the eye for the first time in that conversation, "Ino and Choji are not just my teammates and friends…they're family."

Ino felt a warmth spread through her heart and immediately all her anger and resentment for Shikamaru's recent behavior dissipated. She felt Choji squeeze her shoulder and she nodded at him. The two really were like brothers she never had. Ino-Shika-Cho it really was something special.

"Man. What a waste and Ino's grown up so… nicely and all." Kiba gestured rudely and shook his head in disappointment.

"Uh.." Shikamaru looked uncomfortable as he shifted in his chair.

"Seriously though! How can you not notice her huge rack?" Kiba gave a low whistle.

"K-Kiba.." Shikamaru started to covertly gesture with his hands.

"..and she has a fiiiiineeee a-"

He never got to finish that sentence as Ino coughed loud enough for both to turn around.

"I-Ino!? Heyo Uh umm d-didn't see you t-there…" Kiba stuttered.

"Oh hi Kiba." Ino began with venom lacing each word, a vein rather visibly twitched in her head, "and here I was thinking I'd be so easy to notice…with my 'huge rack' and all…"

"This is gonna be such a drag…" Shikamaru rubbed his temples.

"Oh uh…hey do you hear that?" Kiba started to back away rapidly from the fuming Yamanaka, "I think Akamaru needs me… okseeyabye."

He shot up and ran past Ino as Choji barely restrained her.

"Lemme at him Cho!?" Ino snarled.

Shikamaru sighed loudly drawing her attention.

"And YOU! You have some nerve sitting there letting Kiba run his mouth like that!" The blonde hissed as she settled in a seat opposite the Nara genius.

"You know in some cultures it's considered rude to eavesdrop." He answered in his usual drawl.

"Sorry we didn't want to interrupt." Choji offered innocently.

"Pfft. You knew we there behind you the whole time didn't you?" Ino eyed her friend critically, but he only shrugged, typical.

She rolled her eyes and huffed, "Well that makes your 'they're family speech' so much less cool."

"-but no less true." Shikamaru finished calmly.

Ino couldn't help but crack a smile.

* * *

XXX

"..and then I ran to Choji's." Ino finished dramatically.

Choji chuckled as he put more meat on the girll.

Shikamaru however simply nodded, and even though he was sitting right in front of them he had a distant look in his eye. He was doing it rather often tonight, it was not like he was the type to be very talkative during their dinners but this was unusual- even for him.

"Helllllooo." Ino snapped her fingers in front of Shikamaru's face, "Earth to Shika! Do you copy?"

"Ugh. Sorry I uh..phased out."

"Heh no shit." Ino cocked a brow.

"Sorry…some issues with the last Shinobi Union meeting…" He took a deep breath.

"Anything we can help with?" Choji looked at his best friend.

For a second it looked like Shikamaru considered saying something else but he ended up shaking his head, "Naah, it's fine…I got this."

"If..you say so." Choji smiled and went back to adding more meat to the grill.

"What were you saying Ino?" Shikamaru turned quickly towards their blonde team mate.

"Weren't you listening to a thing?" Ino huffed and crossed her arms.

"She said Shino made a move on her." Choji answered before Ino could launch into a full tirade.

"I'd say someone's been sniffing the wrong kind of flowers…" Shikamaru raised his brows pointedly.

"Not you too." Ino rolled her eyes before jabbing her chopstick in Shikamaru's way, "It totally happened!"

"Sure Ino."

"I'm serious." She frowned.

"Whatever you say, Ino."

"Ok now you're just being annoying."

"Tch. Troublesome. I'm agreeing with you and you're still getting mad." The jonin scratched the back of his head and sighed.

Ino could tell something was off about him, Choji noticed it too. Sure he was trying- but his eyes, the moment they would stop talking they drifted back into that same distant look.

He was worried about something.

A small part of her was setting off alarms in her head.

"Any word from Sai yet?" She blurted even though she had willed herself to keep tonight's conversation free from anything related to Shikamaru's work.

For a brief moment an unreadable expression passed over Shikamaru's face and his hand that held the chopsticks faltered ever so slightly- but he recovered quickly, shaking his head and sighing, "You know I can't talk about that Ino."

The alarms in her head got louder but she blocked it out.

"S-Sorry. I'm just- forget I asked, okay?" Ino bit her lip and toyed with the meat on the grill.

"It's fine.." Shikamaru replied awkwardly.

"Are you going to eat that?" Choji broke the tension pointing to the grill.

"Huh?" Ino blinked several times before chuckling, "Go ahead- all yours."

Choji grinned and quickly stuffed the meat into his mouth, realizing too late that it was piping hot. After fanning his mouth for several minutes (he refused to spit out a perfectly good piece of meat) he was now downing cold soda.

She had missed this, she realized suddenly. So much. The three of them eating together, at this spot- it was really nostalgic. She couldn't help but look at the empty spot next to Shikamaru, if only he was here too- it would be the perfect evening.

* * *

XXX

"What's up?" Ino asked when she saw how Shikamaru's chopsticks hovered in the air, not moving.

He was doing it again.

"It's nothing. I've just wanted to see you guys for a while." Shikamaru put a tiny pit of meat into his mouth.

Ino looked at him, clearly there was something bothering him a lot- but she didn't want to push him if he didn't want to talk about it. Shikamaru was smart- he'd tell them if it was important right?

"Ah, kay." Ino didn't ask whether there was anything more to it. Chouji continued happily stuffing his mouth with meat.

He seemed to appreciate her accepting that answer since he shook his head and started to focus on them more.

Then, the three started to talk. It was a light-hearted, silly conversation.

Chouji's eternal love of food.

Ino's usual talk about her love life.

And then, the memories about Asuma…

They talked well into the night and in the end even though both Choji and Ino wanted to walk him home together- Shikamaru had to wrap up some work and opted to go home alone.

Ino and Choji exchanged a glance. Feeling more than a little helpless as they watched their friend carry a burden- he simply couldn't share, not even with family.

* * *

XXXX

Exactly a month had passed since Sai left for his mission and still no word from him. Ino sat behind the counter at The Yamanaka Flower Shop after finishing up her shift at the clinic.

Everything seemed to be oddly quiet today; it was unnerving to a degree. Something felt off, it had especially felt that way ever since their team dinner a couple of days ago. And then, Shikamaru disappearing two days ago without a word made it even worse.

More times than not Team 10 worked together on missions, and even when they had to work with other people or go on solo expeditions- they always made a point to say goodbye to each other, if not in person atleast via a note. But Shikamaru had left out of the blue. It was only when Choji bumped into Kurenai did Ino find out that the Nara was last seen visiting the graves of his father and sensei.

Ino's stomach knotted uncomfortably but she tried to think positively. Perhaps he had an important diplomat or damiyo to meet. Or maybe, he was finally going to confess to the Kazekage's sister.

She grinned to herself. Yes, that had to be it. It explained all the brooding and the secrecy.

Still the nagging feeling didn't stop.

* * *

XXX

It was midday when the Naruto Uzumaki burst through the doors and confirmed her fears.

"Ino!" The blonde future Hokage looked out of breath- as if he had ran halfway across the village.

"What's happened?" Ino bolted up and her hands gripping the counter so hard the knuckles turned white.

"Shikamaru might be in a lot of trouble. Can you tell me where he is?" Naruto asked seriously.

"What? You mean he's not in Suna?" Ino felt her feet grow cold.

"No. Shikamaru Nara is not in Sunagakure." The voice came from the doorway.

Ino watched as Temari made her way past Naruto, she seemed to be calculating her words carefully when she spoke next, "I have to ask- did you notice anything strange about Nara recently?"

"Yes. He's been distant. Like something's been eating away at him." Ino squeezed her eyes shut trying to block out the far-away look in Shikamaru's face during their recent conversations, "Dammit. Choji and I both noticed it- We should have pushed harder. He left without a word two days ago- he never does that."

"Ino.." Naruto's tone softened, clearly trying to find a way to reassure her.

"Urgh- I knew it! Naruto, I think he's gone and done something stupid- We need answers!" Temari's usual calm face was distorted in frustration.

"Come on, I'll make Kakashi sensei talk." Naruto ran out with Temari close on his heels.

Ino stood numbly, trying to register what just happened.

* * *

XXX

Ino sat quietly across from Sakura, Choji was pacing back and forth outside. It had been an hour since Naruto and Temari had gone to the current Hokage- she had already brought the other two up to date as they anxiously awaited Naruto's return.

Finally, the door creaked open and Naruto walked in. His face seemed to be carefully controlled as Choji hurled a barrage of questions.

"Will you tell me what's going on already?" The Akamichi could barely contain himself, "Shikamaru's okay right?"

"Shikamaru took on a covert assassination mission. A- rank." Naruto answered through gritted teeth.

_Assassination? That too in this time of peace? _

_That wasn't like Shikamaru at all._

_Why would he take a mission like that? _

_And why had he felt the need to hide it if it was just a normal mission? _

_Why hadn't he asked Choji or herself to go with him? _

_No. There had to be more. _

"It's in the Land of Silence. Something strange is going on there. Shinobi going missing or defecting- at any rate they lose contact- no one's sent a word back…." Naruto continued.

_Okay, so it's a dangerous mission. A-ranked- that was expected. But why Shikamaru- why not let some Anbu Black Ops handle it? _

A small part of her whispered a reason but she wouldn't hear it. She squashed that thought before it could even form. No, it couldn't be.

"And?" Ino dead panned.

This time Naruto looked at Sakura when he answered, his voice was strained,"It's Sai. He's- here read it."

Ino felt her heart sink.

'_Get. Out.' _

_Her last words to him rang in her ear._

Sakura hesitated for a second before she stood up and took the piece of paper from Naruto, her eyes going wide as she scanned the document.

She looked up, disbelief clear in her emerald eyes, "H-he's defected?"

"What nonsense is this!?" Ino snatched the document from her pink haired friend and froze as her eyes went over the hand written letter.

**Addressed to the Sixth Hokage,**

**There is not much time, so I must write briefly.**

**Our investigation into the matter of your concern has been completed up to the degree you specified. None of my 10 comrades have returned, and I have been left on my own. ****I do not know if they are dead or alive. However, I think that there's no mistake the enemy has sensed us.**

**I will get straight to the point.**

**The internal affairs of this country are far, far worse than you had feared them to be. If we leave it be, then the Shinobi Union is going to end up in a predicament. No, in fact, I believe that the very framework of the world could end up changing.**

**There is a man who is shaping this country.**

**His name is Gengo.**

**This country is here because Gengo is, and Gengo is here because of the country. ****It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this entire country only exists for the sake of Gengo.**

'**Enchantment.' **

**That is the word that describes Gengo the most suitably.**

**Gengo may end up becoming an existence that will change the world.**

**I'm not sure if I don't want it to change.**

**The living things called Shinobi don't really have a saving grace to them, do they? ****Because we endure, we are shinobi.**

**But is that really a good thing?**

**Hokage-sama.**

**No, Kakashi-san.**

_**I don't know who I am anymore…**_

* * *

XXX

* * *

**A/N**

**Annnd that's a wrap for this chapter. Poor Ino. Poor Sai. My bbs are so confused and sad, I hope I type up some fluff soon or Im going to be mad at myself.**

**Also, yes. His name is Santa Yamanaka. I double checked, I dunno I guess he was born or conceived on Christmas or something like that lol So many Naughty/Nice list inappropriate jokes in my head right now I can't even. **

**As always, I love you all for taking the time to read this, the follows and favorites make me really happy but reviews are always special- it's amazing when someone takes the time to let me know what they thought! So please feel free to let me know what you think- the good the bad and the ugly. If I made any mistakes or need to improve, tell me :D I promise to do better next time xoxo**

**Oh and I opened my first tumblr account, I DO NOT KNOW HOW THIS WORKS?! WHAT IS THIS BLACK MAGIC F**KERY?!**

XXX

**Shika hiden outline: (from the wiki page- which does a fairly good job)**

While watching the sunset, Shikamaru sees one of Sai's ink birds approaching the office of Kakashi Hatake, the Hokage. Eager to finally have news about Sai's mission, Shikamaru rushes to the Hokage to hear his report. During the War and every month since then, a large number of shinobi (almost exclusively young, single men) have been deserting their hidden villages and then disappearing. The number of missions has also seen an unusually sharp decline. From investigating both matters, Kakashi believed the Land of Silence - a samurai-run country on a distant continent - was involved. He sent Sai and a team of ten Anbu to investigate.

Kakashi and Shikamaru are concerned by a number of things in Sai's message: the clear haste it was written with, not having Sai's characteristically clear handwriting; his report that his entire team has gone missing; his warning of the threat posed by Gengo, the Land of Silence's strangely charismatic leader; Sai's choice of words that suggest he is awed by Gengo and doubtful of the Shinobi Union. What troubles them most, however, is the fact that Sai did not deliver the report in person. It is apparent to Kakashi that, if nothing is done, the Union will inevitably go to war with the Land of Silence. In order to avoid this, Gengo must be assassinated. Shikamaru does not hesitate to volunteer for the job, chiefly so that he can try to find Sai.

At the next meeting of Shinobi Union representatives in the Land of Iron, Shikamaru is distant with his peers. Temari of Sunagakure, his greatest ally in these meetings, questions him about his behaviour afterwards. He upsets her by refusing to tell her anything. When he gets back to Konoha he has dinner at Yakiniku Q with his friends, Chōji Akimichi and Ino Yamanaka, intent on asking for their help with assassinating Gengo, but cannot bring himself to involve them in such an affair. Before leaving on his mission he visits the graves of his father, Shikaku, and his teacher, Asuma Sarutobi. He meets Kurenai and Mirai, Shikamaru reminds himself of his promise to Asuma to train Mirai, and as such becomes determined not to die on his mission.

Kakashi assigns two Anbu to assist Shikamaru with his mission. They leave the village in secret early the following morning. After he's gone, Naruto Uzumaki talks to Sakura Haruno about Sai's long absence and Shikamaru's recent cold behaviour. He knows Shikamaru is working hard with the goal of making him the next Hokage, but Naruto can't help but wonder if he's worth whatever risks Shikamaru is taking. In Sunagakure, Temari shares her own worries about Shikamaru with the Fifth Kazekage. The Kazekage, like Temari, assumes Shikamaru is on some assignment for Konoha too important to share with them. Although he trusts Konoha has a good reason for the secrecy, he gives Temari permission to investigate what Shikamaru is doing and lend him whatever support she wishes to.


	24. Chapter 24- Solis

**I just wrote so many different versions of this and thought I'd be a good writer and plan everything out and it just so happened that I am just not that sort of person. I liked this version- the one I typed up in the last three hours wee into the night- I went off course so many times it wasn't even funny. As usual this means I didn't get to proofread so I'll probably check for errors in the morning and fix them tomorrow. Do let me know what you think pleaaaase!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters in it, if I did Sai and Ino would have 20 kids and more scenes than Naruto has flashbacks.**

_**Bold Italics- Sai's letters or quotes from previous chapters. **_

* * *

**XXXX**

* * *

Ino thought back to the crumpled up letter she kept in her bedside table with the purple scroll she was once given by the same man.

'_**I cannot write much, I have been assigned a mission the nature of which I cannot disclose. The urgency requires me to leave right away, although I realize you may not wish to speak with me- I would like to be able to if I return.**_

_**I am sorry, for everything.'**_

"_**If I return." **_

That was how he chose to phrase it. She knew she wasn't mistaken, she had read that letter far too many times not to know it by heart. There was something off about it, it had felt more like a farewell than a "talk to you later"- it had been eating at her for weeks.

She had known something was wrong, she had the inkling all along and yet she chose to bide her time and push it all on Shikamaru. The blonde looked up as Choji slammed his fist loudly against the door.

"Well what heck does it say?!" He demanded as she stared at the paper.

Ino looked at him mutely, her mind not yet registering what she had read.

"I know Sai!" Naruto growled, "Something's not right! He'd never betray us!"

"I just can't believe this is happening again." Sakura looked lost, "..after everything we went through for…" she trailed off trying her best not to think back on the past, " I thought he'd know better…"

"I'm telling you there's something fishy going on here…it has to be a trick or a jutsu!" Naruto pushed.

"It's not impossible…Maybe it's some mind altering jutsu?" Sakura looked unsure of herself, "That letter seemed to get really messy near the end and that's not like Sai at all…"

"Well I don't know.. but Shikamaru wouldn't have gone in if there wasn't anything really weird going on!" Naruto curled his hands into trembling fists, "I can't believe Kakashi Sensei didn't tell us earlier! Sai is OUR team mate!?"

"And Shikamaru is ours!" Choji looked at Ino, "We all knew something was wrong- we should've acted sooner! We have to get them back!"

"Temari's already headed to the Land of Silence with a team of Suna-nin." Naruto informed them.

Ino hadn't expected the stab of guilt. Temari had come all the way from Suna and raised an entire task force for Shikamaru despite being from a different village… and here she was- claiming to love Sai. What had she done in spite of her misgivings regarding his mission?

She had sat here and as always thought of only herself.

Ino stared at the piece of paper, reading and rereading it until the words sunk in.

What started off as his characteristic neat slanted script turned almost jagged and deranged by the end.

**Hokage-sama.**

**No, Kakashi-san.**

She could hear his voice pleading in her head.

_**I don't know who I am anymore…**_

She traced her fingers over the chaotic scrawl, each word seemed to punctuate so much grief she could almost feel it herself. Her mind brought forth images of the scared four year old trapped in the dark cargo container and it tore at her.

_Oh Sai, what have they done to you?_

She squeezed her eyes shut; no wonder Shikamaru seemed so uneasy every time she brought up Sai.

How long had the shadow-nin known? How long had he been keeping this letter from her?

She thought back to their dinner together and how strained Shikamaru had been at the time- the guilt must've driven him to volunteer for such a drastic mission Ino hypothesized… but was the guilt really his to bear?

No. She knew the answer to that all too well. She had known for a while even though her anger clouded her from admitting it at first- but she knew.

'_**It's always the same thing at the end of the day.'**_

' _**I'll never be like the rest of you.' **_

'_**There never will be redemption for me will there?' **_

'_**Even if I force myself to smile… It seems I'm the type of person who ends up being hated.' **_

That was her doing wasn't it?

Sai, who never even knew his own parents, who never had a childhood, who had every emotion suppressed before he was old enough to even understand them by an organization that viewed him less a human being and more a tool.

Life had been nothing short of unfair and cruel to him.

And yet he was the boy who smiled despite never being given one good reason to, the one who tried so hard to fit in and be liked despite being clearly out of his element.

He was the boy who had cheered her up when she was at her lowest. While everyone had gotten busy tending to their own lives- he had reached out to her. He was there for her, a good a friend as any of the shinobi she had went to academy with; despite knowing each other for such a short time.

And what had she done-

'_Do you love me?'_

She couldn't believe she threw that at him. How pathetic and self centered. She thought bitterly.

How was it remotely fair of her to selfishly push her own expectations and emotions on to him? It wasn't his fault that she was so insecure after the trainwreck that was Sasuke.

"They're leaf-nin, OUR friends! We can't just sit around!" Choji exclaimed breaking through her thoughts.

"Damn right! I don't care what Kakashi Sensei says- I'm going in!" The blond boy gritted his teeth.

"I'll make preparations so we can leave right away." The Pinkette got up.

"I'm going too." Ino spoke for the first time since she read Sai's letter, "I'm going to bring him back."

He had never asked for any of this-

'_**No more than I want to be your stand-in for Sasuke!'**_

That was really it, wasn't it?

Sai, who was trying so hard to piece his life back together and to finally be his own person… only to be pigeon holed into once again being a replacement for Sasuke.

Could she really blame Shikamaru? No, if anything had convinced him to lose his faith in who he was- it was her.

* * *

XXX

It took them four days to finally reach the capital of the land of Silence- Curtain Village was a drab little place. The roads were neat and the houses had tiled roofs, the residents seemed to be all civilians dressed in traditional attire in tones of black, brown or grey.

They must all shop from the same place Ino mused absently- how boring. The journey had been taxing on all of them but they had no time to waste, Temari's forces should be here by now but they saw no sign of them anywhere. Ino used her sensor skills to locate Sai and Shikamaru's chakra signatures – both seemed to be towards the heart of the village.

Everything seemed to have been built around the center of the village where there was a large building almost 10 storey high- the roof was tiled with red and on each side were large golden lion statues- it seemed it was a mansion or castle of some sort- it stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the simple design of the other buildings in the village.

Whoever this Gengo person was might be a "charismatic" leader- but as far as taste was concerned, Ino pegged him as rather tacky.

The blonde squinted her blue eyes, there seemed to be something going on inside, she could see people rushing through the windows. They made their way quietly towards the back but stopped short when they noticed a large group of people had started to gather.

They were all dressed in long black cloaks with large silver buttons, and judging by their chakra signatures none were civilians by any means.

"Careful, these guys mean business." Ino whispered a warning to her team mates.

"Wait- what the hell! That guy in the front with the brown hair, he's a Hyuuga!" Naruto frowned.

"What? No way- wait a sec you're right Naruto! He's a Konoha Anbu, was on an A rank escort mission with me last year!" Choji hissed under his breath, "I'd never forget that face, he saved my life!"

"What is going on here…?" Sakura bit her lip.

"Call for the others! The intruders have made it past the second floor!" A blonde man shouted as he came running down the steps of the building.

"It's that woman with the fan! She's the one who knocked me out…you all go ahead we can stand guard here!" Hissed the cloaked Hyuuga, dismissing almost two thirds of the people to accompany the blonde man.

Ino and Sakura exchanged a look, Temari's forces had already successfully infiltrated the building.

"Well what are we waiting for!" Naruto growled as he lurched forward.

"Naruto! Wait we need a … plan." Sakura finished futilely- Naruto was already engaging in a fight with three cloaked ones.

"There's more of them hiding there!" The Hyuuga had activated his bloodline limit and the pale eyes were staring right at them.

_So much for a surprise attack. _

* * *

XXX

The skirmish ended quickly- Naruto's rasengans coupled with Choji and Sakura's insane strength easily overpowered the cloaked men, only the Hyuuga put up a formidable fight but while he was distracted by Choji, Ino had hit him with her mind transfer jutsu.

His pale eyes fluttered shut as he crumpled to the ground, simultaneously Ino went slack but fortunately Sakura was there to catch her fall.

When Ino opened her eyes she saw through the Hyuuga's, the mind transfer jutsu was a hit. She grinned and gave Choji a thumbs up.

The Akimichi immediately relaxed his stance, "Good job Ino. While you're at it see if you can find anything useful from him."

"Already on it," She activated his bloodline limit, "BYAKUGAN!"

Immediately she was able to see through the building's structures and locate Shikamaru and Sai's chakra signatures, "There! On the 6th floor, seems like a large hall or something, there's so many people fighting- I can't make out anything clearly- wait Temari's there, they're out numbered- we should get there fast!"

"That's a useful trick you got there Ino!" Naruto smiled but then stopped for half a beat, "I still don't understand what a Hyuuga is doing sided with these goons."

"Y-you're right." Ino pondered, "You know what, wait a second, let me take a look."

She closed her eyes and concentrated as she dove into his subconscious.

_There was a blinding pain in the middle of her forehead, she tried to scream but there was something in her mouth preventing a single sound from escaping. _

_She peered up at the face of a long haired man with pale eyes._

"_There. It is done. The seal is in place. Stop squirming Hisao, it is unbecoming of a Hyuuga." The voice was cold and formal._

'_They marked you when you were only children.' A voice whispered in her ear, 'destined to serve even then.'_

_She turned quickly to face the voice but no one was there and the scene changed. It was night time and she was running. There were two others at her side, their white masks glinting in the moonlight._

_One was clearly injured, marking everything he touched in deep crimson. _

"_You two go on without me, they're catching up." His weary voice wheezed. _

"_We can't leave you like this, they'll …" The voice came from her but wasn't hers. _

"_Listen kid, Bird's right, we have to go or we'll all be done for!" The other man hissed and motioned to the bundle in his hands, "We have the item, the mission will fail if we don't get it back by daybreak!" _

"_But.." _

"_Listen to him." Bird lifted his mask, revealing a pale surprisingly young face, "Can you do me a favor?"_

"_Anything."_

_He reached out and deposited a small charm in her hands, "When you get back, find my mother…tell her I'm sorry I couldn't..give it back in person.." _

_He fixed his mask in place again and went off in the opposing direction, as they ran they could hear his screams carry for miles. _

_Back in Konoha they found out the package had contained jewellery meant for a damiyo's new wife. _

'_Our lives are nothing but tools for hire to them.' The voice hissed in her ear again, 'We are merely stairs for them to step on. A means to an end.'_

_The scene changed again she was looking at a man in an ornate chair. He looked to be in his mid 30s, with dark indigo blue hair and a slight stubble along his strong jawline. He wore a long, black coat covered in countless colourful ornaments as well as large silver buckles. On top of that, his sleeves were embroidered with silver snakes running down his forearms. Judging by the tacky outfit alone Ino was certain this man was Gengo. _

'_We bleed, we fight and we die…and for what? What is our purpose?' the man spoke, it was the same voice from before._

"_Our..purpose?" The words came from Ino, well, Hisao to be more accurate. For it was his head she was in, "To protect and serve our village!" _

'_Are you delusional boy?' The man gave a soft chuckle, 'What village were you protecting when you were ordered to be on the beck and call of any halfwit with the title of damiyo?' _

_Hisao gritted his teeth, "We do what we must.."_

'_Shinobi have been reduced to nothing more than lap dogs... what a time to be alive." The man snorted, 'We who have been blessed with chakra and physical abilities far beyond those that the fat lords in their castles can ever imagine- to be squabbling here at the bottom of the food chain- disgusting.' _

'_The entire system is flawed, everything we stood for , our very foundation is cracked to begin with- how has it come to pass that we have become nothing more than puppets pulled by the strings of coin.' The man reached out, 'Join me Hisao, help me and my__** enlightened ones**__ to create a world where no lives are lost over a rich lord's trinkets!' _

_Bird's face flashed through her mind. Somehow his words were conjuring up disjointed images in Hisao's head. Flashbacks flitted left and right. She felt a gentle trickle of chakra, her sensor skills picking up on the intrusion immediately. _

_Who am I? What is my purpose? What have I been doing my whole life?_

_The questions bombarded Hisao. That was when she felt his heart turn._

"_Yes Lord Gengo." _

Ino snapped her eyes open, breathing hard. She was back in her own body looking up into Sakura's worried eyes.

"Is everything okay Ino?" The Pinkette helped her up.

"You were right, Sakura. It's a jutsu." Ino clenched her fist, "That bast*** Gengo's brainwashing them!"

"Darn it! He's going to pay for this!" Naruto snarled.

"Intruders! They're in the back!"

They looked to see another swarm of cloaked figures heading their way.

"Urgh! You guys go ahead- Go get Sai and Shikamaru!" Naruto had already made three shadow clones and looked back with a reassuring grin, "Don't worry about me! I can handle this!"

"Alright then," Sakura nodded and led the way upstairs, "Come on Ino, Choji."

"Thanks Naruto." Choji gave the blonde a pat on the back before following the kunoichis up the stairs.

* * *

XXX

Their path was already cleared for them by Temari's forces making their progression to the great hall fairly quick.

But nothing could have prepared Ino for the scene she was looking at. Through all the fights between the forces of Suna and the cloaked figures, only one had her rooted to the spot.

Sai stood in one corner flanked on both sides by two large ink tigers rearing to attack, his target- Shikamaru Nara.

_No. Please, no. Why them?_

She rushed without thinking.

"Gengo's getting away! Get out of the way Sai!" Shikamaru hissed as the tigers blocked his path.

"I absolutely cannot let you go pass." The dark haired former Root stood steadfast.

"Sai, enough already! Wake up!"

"The ones who should 'wake up' are you and the others." His reply was cold and detached.

_This was all Gengo's doing. _

Ino felt her rage building up, Sai with his troubled past and blank heart must have been the perfect target for his manipulations!

His tigers were already lunging at Shikamaru, she was too far away to do anything.

Suddenly she felt a gust of wind and Sai's ink tigers dematerialised into mists of black ink. Temari stood between the two Konoha-nin, her back to Shikamaru.

"Leave this to me, and follow that bast**d!" She ordered.

"But Temari….." Shikamaru opened his mouth to argue.

"You can thank me later, hurry and go!" The Suna Kunoichi cut in sharply.

"Got it." Shikamaru said, and began to run up the stairs.

"Stop right there, Shikamaru!" Sai yelled.

"Oh no you don't." Temari said, and opened her war fan. "Your opponent is me."

Ino attempted to shout, to let them know he was under a jutsu, to somehow stop them from hurting each other but before she could get a single word out she felt a sharp tug on her hair and fell backwards.

The back of her head hit the floor and she saw stars. A cloaked figure aimed a kick straight at her throat and only by rolling at the last minute did she avoid getting her wind pipe crushed.

She didn't have time for this.

Swiftly dodging another kick she grabbed her attacker's leg and pulled him towards her raised elbow. It connected with his nose, breaking it immediately. Pain shot up her arm as he howled backwards clutching his face. Close range wasn't one of her strong points but she knew enough taijutsu to get by.

Wasting no time she quickly wove her way towards the corner where Temari was fighting Sai. The Kazekage's sister had driven herself into a corner fending off a large ink tiger and Sai at the same time. She had to resort to using her fan as a shield.

"A shinobi who can see through the Ink Body Flicker Jutsu…does not exist."His voice sent chills down her spine, the killer intent was clear.

This was not a drill, Sai was definitely not kidding around here. Temari could be in serious danger.

The thought had barely entered her head as she watched the horrific scene she dreaded play out. She was only a few meters away when she saw Sai drive a kunai straight through the Suna Kunoichi's fan and then her midsection.

"Too naïve." Sai commented coldly as he pulled out his chakra laden kunai, "That defense was no match for me. The manipulation of chakra…It's my specialty."

Temari grunted as the blood seeped through her clothes and she doubled over.

"No matter how hard you fight, none of you are a match for Gengo-sama." Sai said. "At the end of the day, we enlightened ones will end up controlling the world."

"Is that…really what you want?" Temari looked up at his mask of a face.

"Yes." Sai let a smile break across his face.

He didn't look like someone under a genjutsu. Unshakable faith in Gengo was written all over.

_This was not the Sai I know. _

She had lost him_._

At his words Ino felt like he had driven a kunai in her and not Temari and blinked back the tears. She stood transfixed unable to bring herself to move another inch.

"Well then…" Temari said with difficulty. "Why're you crying?"

She was right. Sai was smiling but a single tear was rolling down his right cheek.

"I .. am not..crying." Sai grit out as he prepared for the finishing blow with his kunai.

_Could it still be possible? Was there still hope for him?_

Ino saw a flash of pink pass her by. Temari took a sharp intake of breath and squeezed her eyes shut.

"GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF AND WAKE UUUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!"

Suddenly, Sai was knocked off his feet by Sakura. His kunai clattered to the floor and Ino felt Choji at her side, he gave her shoulder a squeeze and nodded. It immediately snapped her out of it and she rushed forward to the fallen former Root.

Sakura helped Temari up and quickly assessed her wound, "Are you okay? Hold on I've gotcha."

'Sa-Sakura, it's Sai you have to-"

"I'll seal up your wound, try not to talk. Don't worry, those two can handle Sai." She aimed the green chakra towards the Sand Kunoichi's midsection.

Temari looked up to see Choji pinning down a struggling Sai, Ino was already building up her chakra preparing to cast some sort of jutsu.

"You keep holding him down Cho!" Ino yelled as she cast the handsigns.

"He's under a genjutsu." Temari winced as Sakura knitted her skin together.

"Yeah, they know. Ino's going to try and break it." Sakura nodded as she completed her healing.

"LET GO OF ME!" Sai snarled fiercely as he fought to get free, but it was in vain. Choji had him in a vice grip.

"I hope she knows what she's doing.." Temari commented warily.

"As long as that Jutsu of her's works… it should all work out." Sakura replied with more confidence than she felt.

Ino gritted her teeth. There was no question of can or cannot in her mind. This HAD to work. She HAD to save him.

"I'm ready Cho." Ino took a deep breath and approached.

On cue Choji released Sai and in an instant he was back on his feet ready to attack.

His eyes met Ino's and for a fraction of a second he hesitated, she didn't think twice before she cast the Jutsu making him go stiff and fall backwards.

"Ninja art – Shintenshin no Jutsu!" The long-haired kunoichi yelled.

* * *

XXX

It was pitch black, a darkness so thick she felt it was almost physically suffocating her. She had been searching for ages it seemed and yet she could pick up no sign of Sai anywhere. She had never been in a mind so carefully controlled and blank. It baffled her completely but she was not going to stop trying.

Giving up was just not an option.

Taking a deep breath she dove in deeper. Her body and mind protested, as she forced herself to venture further into his subconscious.

Her jutsu allowed complete control over someone else's body and mind, and the method to it was exerting your influence from the insides of those peoples' hearts… being able to use your opponents own mind and body against them- it seemed almost unfair- but like all jutsus there was always a catch.

The Yamanaka mind jutsus were complex- there was a reason the world wasn't over flowing with mind walkers. Not only did they require a large amount of chakra and iron clad concentration but the more time you spent in someone else's head and the deeper you went- the more you lost the connection back to your own. Soon your own existence starts to blur at the edges. The last thing that would happen was your consciousness disappearing completely in those depths. Once that happened, there was no turning back- You'd never be able to return back to your body, your mind destined to likely become nothing more than a background image in someone else's memories.

Already she had gone far deeper and longer than she had ever before, but she didn't care. If it meant Sai would be okay, she didn't care about anything else at all.

_Where are you Sai? _

She looked around but nothing but black met her. How could someone survive in such a dark desolate place?

Suddenly she remembered the memory- the four year old who was trapped in the empty cargo container because he was scared of the dark.

**"_I remember the first time I thought I was going to die, Danzo locked me in an empty cargo container when I let it slip I was scared of the dark- those 13 hours were probably the scariest of my life."_**

His voice echoed in her head.

Ofcourse! She should have thought of it sooner.

She immediately dropped to the ground and listened intently. Just as expected the floor was a cool metal, she could hear the sound of something skittering- _the rats_\- and something else, the soft sobs of a child.

It was so dark she still couldn't make anything out but carefully she made her way towards the soft sound.

Soon, Ino started to feel some faint warmth coming from the darkness and if her mind wasn't playing tricks the barest flicker of light.

She found herself stumbling across a large gathering of chakra- she could make out Naruto's and Sakura's easily, there was Captain Yamato and the current Hokage Kakashi's as well- she could faintly feel others too, Lee, Ten-Ten, Gai Sensei, Neji, Choji, Shikamaru, Hinata… even her own… in fact it seemed a bit of all of Konoha's shinobi were there.

It was like a lone fire burning in the middle of a blizzard….and huddled in the middle of all the warmth was Sai.

He was smaller and younger than she had ever seen him in person, but she could recognize the face of that four year old anywhere. He looked up, his eyes red and swollen from crying, small hands rubbing at the corners to wipe the stray tears away. It tugged at her heart and she bit back a whimper.

"Sai!" Ino desperately reached out for him. "Over here!"

He backed away with a frightened expression, "Please don't make go back out there…it's so dark and cold…please don't make me…I'll be good I promise…"

"Sai…It's me …." She knelt in front of him so she was on eye level, "..let's.. go home?"

"Home?" His dark eyes looked around at everyone's chakra surrounding him, the word rolled off his tongue wistfully, but looking at the darkness beyond he shook his head "I…I don't think I can go out there again on my own."

"It's okay to be scared. I'd get scared too on my own..." Ino spoke softly as she reached out to him again, "but you don't have to do it alone."

"I…don't?" He took a tentative step forward, "Really?"

"Come on. Let's get out of here.. together." Her hand finally landed on his shoulder, firm and reassuring.

"Together." He repeated the word as he looked at her.

"Ready?" She nodded and asked softly.

"Don't let go."

"I won't."

She turned back to face him and gasped as he was no longer the child but the Sai she was accustomed to seeing.

He seemed to see who she was for the first time as his eyes widened in recognition, "Y-you're.."

Ino gave his shoulder a soft squeeze, "Let's go, alright?"

In that moment Sai smiled. Ino had never seen him smile so naturally before and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

* * *

XXX

* * *

**A/N:**

**At the time I wrote this I did not fact check much, please let me know if I made any major errors. There are some scenes that are taken heavily from shikamaru hiden, in fact I copy pasted some of the iconic dialogue because I didn't want to change it up too much and rephrasing seemed silly. I read all reviews and loved all the ones I've gotten so far- will reply after I catch up on sleep! I hope you liked this chapter, please let me know your thoughts as reviews fuel my writing and *cough* occasionally self esteem *cough***

**PS: Was the writing confusing? I though the action scenes needed work and were hard to follow- let me know if it's giving you too much trouble and I'll rewrite it when I get time. You can read up on Shikamaru Hiden translations (link provided in the last chapter)- could help make things clearer,**


	25. Chapter 25- Hate

**Warning a LOT of shika hiden spoilers. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters nor any other related themes. Large portions of this chapter are from Shikamaru Hiden translated by ****cacatuasulphureacitrinocristata (so honestly 60% of the writing is basically hers)****, only difference being that it is Ino centric.**

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

Ino gasped as if she had just been pulled out from under water. Her lungs were still burning and her body seemed desperate for more oxygen- she struggled to take deeper breaths as her vision focused in on Choji and Sakura hovering over her.

She made it.

She realized she was in a sitting position and across from her lay a motionless body. Her eyes widened at the sight as she felt her heart plummet- Sai hadn't regained consciousness.

_Why isn't he up yet?_

"How'd it go Ino?"

She heard Choji ask but felt too drained to answer, her sights were still on the pale boy on the ground.

_Sai, please wake up. _

His head was close to her knees and without paying attention to her surroundings she placed her hands on the ground and leaned in. Her face hovered above his, her long hair forming a curtain of privacy as it fell past her.

His angular pale face seemed to be carved of marble, the dark hair mussed and longer than she remembered. She could faintly make out Sakura and Choji's voices in the background but all she could focus on was the man lying motionless in front of her.

_Wake up already!_

_Why won't you wake up?_

_I still have things to say to you…_

…_and fight with you about…_

_Wake up…_

She felt her vision start to blur as tears welled up.

_Please…._

_Don't just lie there._

Her shoulders started to tremble as she felt the tears start to brim over her lids.

_Wake up Sai._

_Don't leave me already._

She blinked and tears threatening to spill finally dripped onto his cheek… and he stirred.

Slowly his eyes opened and she saw her grief stricken face reflected clearly in their dark depths.

Before she noticed who had reached out first, they had clasped their hands together.

He stared at her face as if this was the first time he was properly seeing her, his free hand trembled as it reached up hesitantly wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye before falling back awkwardly.

He looked worried and somewhat guilty; his dark eyes bearing into her own blue ones. Ino could tell he was thinking about their fight back in Suna, it wasn't difficult to decipher considering it was on her mind too.

At that moment it was as if there was an unspoken conversation between them, both felt the need to clear the air.

"Sai..." She started.

At the sound of his name from her, his eyes widened ever so slightly, as if shocked that his name would grace her lips.

"You…" Sai dazedly murmured as he squeezed her hand, almost as if he was afraid of her letting go, "You were…"

His voice was like a gentle caress, so soft and warm it made her insides squirm. It had been so long since he had spoken to her, she was painfully aware of how much she had missed it.

And suddenly she realized she didn't care about the events in Suna at all. The only thing that mattered was that Sai was okay, that Sai was back.

"You can stop worrying already." Tears had started falling freely from Ino's eyes, no longer out of grief but out of sheer relief and joy that he was back.

"Thank you… miss Beautiful." He seemed to understand the underlying implication and relief flooded his features as well- he seemed to have expected a different reaction.

"Idiot…"

He squeezed her hand again and broke into a genuine smile, Ino couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

XXX

Sai lost consciousness again shortly afterwards, the fingers of his right hand still entwined with hers. She sighed in relief as she noticed the steady rise and fall of his chest, he was clearly just exhausted.

Suddenly she heard a loud crash and looked up, it was chaos all around her.

It took a second for her to remember that she was still in the middle of the huge fight that had broken out when the Suna forces stormed Gengo's fortress. Choji took down three more cloaked men as Sakura hit the ground with enough force to bring a pillar crashing down. She blinked as the gravity of the situation finally sunk in and she leapt to her feet.

"Finally." Temari closed her war fan, she had been keeping Gengo's men from attacking Ino and Sai.

Sakura rolled her eyes as she jumped backwards. "Took your time with that reunion."

"Shut up Forehead!" Ino fought down a blush and shook her head, "We have to get to Shika! He's gone after Gengo alone!"

"What?" A man she had never met before with thick eyebrows and a strong jawline exclaimed.

"We have to help him, y'know!" A young girl with a slightly rounded face responded with a serious nod.

"Who are these two?" Ino quirked a brow and ducked as a few wayward shuriken whizzed past.

"Soku and Rou. Nara's companions for the mission." Temari stated curtly, "Now hurry we can't waste more time."

"What about Sai?" Ino cast a look downwards; there was no way she could leave him here defenseless.

"Gaara can make sure nothing happens to him." Temari frowned clearly impatient at this point, as if on cue a sand shield encased Sai's form.

_Gaara? As in the __Kazekage__?_

Ino didn't bother hiding her surprise. Temari had brought the Kazekage along to rescue Shikamaru?!

She watched the red haired former jinchuruki easily take down a group of five with his chakra laden sand.

Woah, seriously Shika better grow a pair and ask Temari out by the end of this ordeal or she was personally going to make Shikamaru's life troublesome.

Choji had rejoined their ranks and cracked his knuckles, "I think we can go help Shika now, the Suna forces can handle these guys fine… oh hey Ino."

Ino smiled sheepishly, clearly embarrassed that everyone had been waiting for her, "He's on the top floor, it's just his and Gengo's chakra signatures up there."

* * *

XXX

"It's locked." Temari hissed at the large crude looking iron door obstructing their path.

They had climbed up the almost dizzying spiraling flights of stairs only to be stopped now by the imposing structure.

"Out of the way." Choji frowned he moved past Ino and Temari, grabbing seam between the iron plates, he pulled.

At first it seemed futile but within seconds Choji's face contorted in effort and the grinding sound of metal against metal filled the air.

Through the ever widening crack between the plates Ino could only see darkness, she closed her eyes and used her sensor skills to pinpoint Shikamaru's chakra signature.

"He's just up ahead!" Ino confirmed and at her words Choji gave one final grunt before exerting a herculean amount of force and taking the door clean off its hinges.

They burst through immediately.

"Are you okay, Shikamaru?!" Choji yelled as he caught sight of his best friend's back.

Shikamaru stood facing Gengo whose long sword glinted even in the darkness. Ino saw blood, lots of it. One side of Shikamaru's face was completely covered in red.

_First Sai. Now Shikamaru? _

She felt the rage coil inside her, Gengo had solidified his position near the top of her shit list.

Suddenly he called out to her.

"Prepare your jutsu Ino!" The shadow-bender didn't take his eyes off his opponent as he made a seemingly random gesture with his hands.

Ino grinned, Shikamaru had a plan.

She had worked with Shikamaru and Choji so many times she knew all their signals like she knew the back of her hand. She exchanged a look with Choji, he had caught the signal too. Team 10's teamwork was borderline telepathic sometimes.

"Got it." The blonde brushed the hair out of her face, and prepared her hand signs her eyes calculating the angle so that her aim would be flawless.

She sensed Temari and the others tense up rearing to strike, she wanted to tell them not to worry- but Shikamaru saved her the effort.

"Until I give my signal, nobody should make any move to get involved." Shikamaru said as he used his hand to wipe the blood off his face.

From what Ino could make out the blood dripping from his forehead was obscuring his vision. He reached inside his vest to retrieve his Konoha forehead protector and tied it firmly around his forehead. He wasn't really worried about how effective it'd be in stopping the bleeding though.

"Aren't you acting so composed?" Gengo snarled, swinging his longsword overhead with bloodshot eyes. "Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru's fingers moved in a quick handseal.

His shadow started extending from his feet, heading towards Gengo.

"I'm not such a fool as to be caught in your petty tricks," Gengo said, leaping away before Shikamaru's shadow could reach his feet.

Gengo landed and lunged at Shikamaru without pause, his sword flashing out to slash at him.

The blade went right through him, slicing him clean in half.

But then his flesh lost its colour, turning black, and then disappearing.

"A shadow clone?!" Gengo snarled.

Behind him, Shikamaru was approaching with a kunai in his hand and slashed towards the back of Gengo's neck.

With lightning fast reflexes Gengo dodged, he shifted his body, bending his knees and swung his sword horizontally right through Shikamaru's abdomen.

But this Shikamaru also lost his colour and turned into a shadow before disappearing.

Another shadow clone.

Ino didn't even try to hide her smirk, if Gengo thought he could outsmart Shika, he had another thing coming.

"You impudent little…" Gengo snarled as another shadow clone dissipated.

"Preparations complete!" Ino called out as she gathered the required chakra.

"Alright." That was her cue.

She stood quite a distance away from Gengo, she narrowed her eyes and brought both her arms up, palms spread out. Her thumb and index fingers were brought together to make a triangle-like formation, and she was looking directly at Gengo.

"Ninpou, shintenshin no jutsu."

Gengo instantly leapt to the side, escaping Ino's trajectory. Seeing him evade her, Ino smiled to herself.

_Wrong move assh*le._

And she shifted her palms, just slightly, to head for her real target: Shikamaru.

_Honestly it was so easy for her to pinpoint the real Shikamaru it made Gengo falling for the shadow clones all the more funny._

Shikamaru's body stiffened as Ino entered his mind.

The Yamanaka clan's techniques were incredibly versatile. Other than gaining complete control over a person and entering their hearts and minds it had one other very useful ability that made Yamanakas perfect for intelligence and reconnaissance related missions- information sharing. Shikamaru knew this obviously and had taken full advantage of it.

Ino knew exactly what she was looking for and where to find it, she had been in Shika and Cho's minds enough times that it felt like an extension of her own sometimes.

The jutsu lasted for only an instant. In the time where one could take one breath in, and maybe let another out, the jutsu had already broken.

The plan that Shika had carefully laid out in his head had been transmitted to Ino, he wanted her to transmit it to Rou and Soku. Shikamaru had decided that he was going to bring down the scumbag with Rou and Soku. The three of them would do it together.

"Rou, Soku," Ino called out to the two the instant she broke the jutsu and used her mind to connect to theirs to fill them in instantly.

"Let's go!" Shikamaru called out to the two.

Rou and Soku nodded.

Shikamaru ran towards Gengo, while Rou and Soku ran to opposite ends of the room, stopping then they faced each other from their parallel places.

"Whatever you do, it's useless." Gengo said.

"Oh come on now." Shikamaru said. "This is the last fight we'll have. Might as well enjoy it."

Kunai and longsword clashed in mid-air. Shikamaru was pushed back from the force of Gengo's longsword, tumbling to the floor.

Gengo's sword came after him, slashing across his chest.

Ino felt Temari tense up at her side, and immediately nudged the Suna nin, "Don't worry. Just watch."

The sword went right through Shikamaru … but fortunately it was just another shadow clone.

Ino smiled as Temari visibly relaxed and nodded. Sakura stole a glance at Choji and noticing his nod sighed in relief as well.

"How long do you intend to keep playing games?!" Gengo snarled, practically foaming at the mouth.

Shikamaru attacked Gengo from above, aiming at his head. Gengo swung at him with his sword.

It was another clone.

Then another.

And another.

In fact after 20, Ino lost count how many shadow clones Gengo had sliced through, each time getting more and more enraged.

Had the situation been any different Ino would be on the floor laughing but that seemed incredibly inappropriate- and so she watched trying her best to mimic the rapt attention on everyone's face but honestly Shikamaru was just toying with the guy and dragging it out.

Ino's eyes fell on the real Shikamaru and noting his position fought down her grin. It was going to be over in a matter of minutes.

Gengo was frustrated beyond description. His body showing signs of fatigue and anger in equal parts. His sword had sliced Shikamaru in half countless times. But no matter how he sliced and swung and raged, every single time Shikamaru was just another clone, disappearing from sight as soon as he was injured.

"Where are you hiding, Shikamaru?!" He fumed.

Ino smirked. The real Shikamaru had long disappeared from the front of Gengo's field of vision. He was, in fact standing right behind him- not that Gengo noticed.

"Checkmate." Shikamaru murmured in Gengo's ear.

Gengo snapped his head to stare over his shoulder, the colour draining from his face.

_Too late._

Shikamaru's shadow had already slithered out of his feet and linked itself with Gengo's body.

_The plan had been executed well_, Ino tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, _it was genius really. Then again, they did call him the Nara Genius._

His team mates for this mission Rou and Soku had very unique abilities and he had taken advantage of them just as he had hers. She learnt from Shikamaru's mind that Rou, the man with strong jawline and thick brows, can freely manipulate the quality and quantity of chakra; both his own, as well as that of anyone he targets and recognizes. Shikamaru had first made countless shadow clones and then, using Rou's jutsu, given them all the appearance of having a very thick and dense chakra so Gengo would have a hard time telling them apart.

Gengo's mind had naturally started recognising the clones' chakra. And then, after fighting clone after clone, he'd unconsciously started seeking that chakra out, blocking out other senses in favour of that specific chakra signature.

Finally, the real Shikamaru had his chakra's traces erased by Rou's jutsu, and quietly snuck up on Gengo in the background.

Gengo had been attacked from a complete and utter blind spot. Until Shikamaru had locked him in his shadow, the man hadn't had a single clue as to what was going on.

"SHIKAMARU, YOU BAST*RD!" Gengo screamed, turning his head to curse.

"Hinoko." Shikamaru calmly called.

Hinoko was Soku's real name as Ino found out in her short time in Shikamaru's head. Her specialty was chakra needles.

"Aghhhh!" As she gathered her chakra on her index finger, the girl let out a shriek that was almost deafening. "I keep telling not to call me by that name y'knowwwwwwwww!"

Ino quirked a brow as Soku's lightning chakra flew towards Gengo and passed straight through his tongue.

"Ga- gaaah?" Gengo made a dry sound.

"She just severed the chakra flow to your tongue." Shikamaru told him. "From now on, you're stuck in a body that won't let you breathe another word... say bye bye to your brainwashing genjutsu."

This was her favorite part of Shikamaru's plan. Ino smiled, serves him right for preying on the insecurities of other shinobi. Gengo's jutsu only worked through his words, his speeches were laced with chakra that eventually manipulated people's minds.

"Put him in restraints, and accompany him to the Union." Shikamaru's voice was oddly formal as opposed to his usual drawl.

"Understood, sir." Rou nodded, eyes shining with admiration.

_Sir?_

Choji grinned as he stepped forward, Ino held back a snort.

Shikamaru rubbed his index finger against the bridge of his nose, trying to gloss over his embarrassment.

* * *

XXX

After restraining Gengo, Shikamaru and his comrades went down the spiraling stairs to find the battle between Gengo's followers and other shinobi had already finished. It turned out that the moment Soku severed the chakra flow to Gengo's tongue, the genjutsu clouding everyone's minds had cleared up as well, and that'd been a really big help to ending the battle.

Other than several heavily wounded people, almost everyone had walked away from the fight with relatively light injuries. You would think it a miracle that no one had been killed, but it was mostly because the Sunagakure shinobi had faithfully followed Gaara's orders -"Do not kill unless necessary."- when they stormed the hall.

Ino scanned the crowd, her eyes seeking out the former Root who had taken up constant residence in her thoughts… but Shikamaru beat her to it.

"Sai!" Shikamaru called out when he spotted the shinobi sitting amidst the crowd of people, receiving medical aid from another shinobi.

"Shikamaru…" Sai sat upright, looking at him with a blank face.

Ino had told Shikamaru about what happened with Sai on the group's way down the stairs. Perhaps it was because Sai had been dragged out of the genjutsu with such strong, desperate measures that the shinobi's eyes still looked a little dazed, like some part of him was drifting at sea.

"I'm so sorry." Sai murmured failing to meet Shikamaru's eyes out of shame.

"Don't worry about it." Shikamaru kindly said, squatting down next to him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's all behind us."

Ino stood close behind her team mate, and felt a rush of emotion at his words

Sai had attacked Shika, and almost killed Temari- for the shadow bender to forgive Sai so easily even if the former was stuck in a mind altering genjutsu- was no small feat.

Add to that the fact that he had taken up this mission not only to stop Gengo for the sake of the Shinobi world but also to retrieve Sai- the boy who could count his friends in one hand and still have fingers to spare-It was testament to Shikamaru's stellar character and to their own friendship as well- he knew full well of her feelings towards the pale shinobi- all things considered Ino felt truly lucky and proud to have Shikamaru amongst her closest friends.

Underneath the black material of Sai's uniform, Shikamaru could feel the shinobi's shoulders shaking slightly.

Ino too noticed the way his shoulders trembled and stepped closer.

Even if there weren't any tears dripping down his face Ino could tell he was still crying on the inside.

"I'm pathetic." Sai muttered.

"You were in a trance brought on by that guy's words." Shikamaru said. "Even I'd gotten dragged into it. You have nothing to feel ashamed about."

"But…" Sai's eyes were a whirlwind of emotions.

"Don't let it bother you too much. Managing to carry on with a light heart no matter what happens has always been one of your best qualities."

"Thank you, Shikamaru." A single tear slipped out of Sai's right eye, falling down his cheek, he seemed to not notice.

"When we get back to Konoha, take some time off. You've been doing A and S rank missions nonstop since the war. I'll talk to Kakashi-san."

"Thank you…" As Sai said that, Ino appeared to stand by Sai's side, she couldn't bear to watch him suffer any longer.

"Take care of him." Shikamaru said to Ino, getting up to his feet.

Ino gave a deep nod, her eyes looking down at Sai. She kneeled down next to him and took Shikamaru's place.

* * *

XXX

Ino reached out and lightly brushed the tears from his cheeks like he had done so many times for her.

"Hey, it's okay. It's over now." She spoke softly as if to a child.

Sai sat very still, his hands in his lap clenched and unclenched uncertainly, "I attacked him… I tried to kill him."

"You were in a genjutsu, he knows that."

"You…donot..understand." He spoke quietly, staring intently at hands clenching and unclenching.

Ino let out her breath in a low whistle, causing him to flinch.

"I like to think of us as friends. We're friends aren't we? Then, make me understand." She demanded with a determined look in her face.

He stopped moving his hands. Her reply seemed unexpected.

"Go on, I won't judge. I promise." Ino sat next to him and smiled kindly, he still refused to look up.

After a moment of silence Ino was starting to lose hope, when suddenly he spoke up.

"It wasn't just the genjutsu…I..believed in Lor- in Gengo's words." He closed his eyes and readied himself to be reprimanded.

She thought back to her moments in Hisao Hyuuga's mind and sighed, "It's hard not to…he did have a point."

Sai turned to face her, eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey don't get me wrong. The guy was a total scumbag…but I won't lie- I could see where he's coming from." Ino pulled at a strand of her hair absently as she frowned, "but even so, it doesn't excuse what he did. He went about it all wrong. It's not okay to do wrong things even if they do seem to be for the right reasons...at least that's how I see it."

"I- You are right." His voice sounded hollow.

She looked up to see Sai staring right at her. Their eyes met for a second before she had to look away due to the intensity in his. She was glad for her long bangs covering half her face as she fought down a deep blush.

"You must hate me then." His voice was low enough to go unheard by anyone other than her, "I truly am pathetic. I never questioned the means to any end as long as it fulfilled the objectives."

"Huh?" She snapped her head towards his direction, that was totally NOT where she was going when she was talking about Gengo.

She watched Sai slump his shoulders and stare at his hands, they trembled ever so slightly. It really tore her up to look at him like this- he had always seemed so impenetrable, nothing ever phased him- right now however she had never seen anything more vulnerable.

She shifted so that she was now completely facing him and very carefully reached under and lifted his chin so that his eyes met hers. She willed herself to meet his gaze, "Sai…"

He looked away as his features once again reflected his shame at his own actions.

"Sai…look at me… Please?" She coaxed softly, almost pleading as she touched his chin again.

He looked up slowly, still unsure of himself. When his eyes were on level with hers once more, she noticed how his had started to tear up.

"Sai, I don't hate you." She smiled reassuringly, "I- I could never hate you."

She watched as her words sunk in and his face relaxed, however he stopped midway and looked uncertain once more as he choked out, "Even though I've-"

Ino didn't even let him finish as she pulled him against her, his head tucked neatly under her chin as her arms tried to wrap around his shoulders, "Even then."

"B-but.."

"Hush." Ino used one hand to rub his back in soothing circles to calm him down while she used the other to hold him- not that the latter was necessary now that Sai had wrapped his arms around her middle and clung as if for dear life.

"I-I'm sorry." He murmured into her shoulder, "I'm..so so sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" She asked him as she felt him hug her tighter.

"For..everything... For making you sad.. at the hospital…for Suna.. now...everything."

"Idiot…I told you not to worry about that." She chided playfully patting his shoulder.

His breathing had started to even out in her embrace and made a smile tug at her lips. There was something that seemed to click into place, him in her arms…it felt…right.

"Thank you…Ino."

His rare use of her actual name made chest feel pleasantly constricted, "W-what are you thanking me for n-now i-idiot?" She stuttered as she turned red.

_Oh God. I'm stuttering again. I thought we were PAST THIS! _She hissed at herself mentally.

"For not letting go." Sai's answer made stop her internal rant, he was clearly referring to when she rescued him from the genjutsu right?

She was about to assure him that it was no trouble when he continued, "For being my friend. For…not hating me…I don't ever want you to hate me."

She turned redder if that possible as his words sent her wildly fluttering heart into a frenzy. She felt a gentle warmth spreading through her and sighed- no she most certainly did not _hate_ him.

In fact she was sure if she told him exactly how much she didn't hate him, he'd probably have another breakdown.

She suddenly became hyperaware of how he was practically on her lap and cradled against her chest. Her mouth went dry as his intoxicating and now almost familiar scent of ink and grass drowned her senses. The butterflies in her stomach were going into overdrive.

She tried to reel herself in. Perhaps it would be best at this point for her to stop hugging him.

She looked down and almost laughed at the scene.

Sai had fallen fast asleep.

* * *

XXX

* * *

**A/N:**

**I kind of sort of loooove the idea of Sai sleeping in Ino's arms. Warms my ickle icy heart.**

**I wrote this chapter purely inspired by this picture (I have put it up as the new cover image for this story)**

**I am a bit iffy about this chapter as a large portion is very heavily taken from Shikamaru Hiden although most of the Sai Ino portions have more of my own stuff thrown in. I've really wanted to do a fluff like piece and this is my first attempt do let me know how it was please! Feel free to let me know if there are any plot/character inconsistencies as I did not reread nor proofread.**

**Also Also…I kinda sorta want to do another shot at a Sai chapter but I don't know if I'll mess it up gaaaah**

**oh oh and Im thinking of doing a new story as well…with perhaps an OC and Jashin-y things going on …but idk if anyone would be into that sort of thing :e I have the worst case of insecurities with my writing I know but please indulge me with your reviews/PMs anyways haha**

**As always thank you for reading, lurve yew awl. xoxo**

**PS: Im travelling to Europe in October so the next update may take a while, however I will finish this story so unless God forbid something happens to me I intend to see it through to the end.**


	26. Chapter 26- Closure

**Tried to shine the light on some other canon couples in this one. please excuse grammar errors, English isn't my first language and its 3 am here haha (feel free to let me know what I did wrong though, I'll fix it, same for character/plot inconsistencies.)**

**Disclaimer: first portion dialogue between Gaara, Shika and Temari are from cacatuasulphureacitrinocristata's translation of Shikamaru Hiden. **T**he Ino centric thoughts though are my additions. I own none of the characters. **

* * *

XXX

* * *

It was decided that the first order of business was returning back to the village as many of the shinobi required further medical evaluation. Naruto, Sakura and Choji were going to stay behind in the Country of Silence and clean up matters there, Ino thought of staying back as well but considering how Gengo's jutsu had messed with the minds of many, Shikamaru advised that the Yamanaka accompany them back to Konoha as a contingency plan.

Sunagakure's shinobi also decided on leaving part of their troop behind while the rest headed back to Suna.

"This time around, I'm really in your debt." Shikamaru said to Gaara, as they stood at the gates of Curtain Village.

Sunagakure's returning shinobi stood lined up behind Gaara and all smiled politely at Shikamaru. The respect in their eyes and their body language showed how closely knit the two nations of Suna and Konoha had become in such a short time. They really had come a long way, thinking back on the events during the chunnin exams that seemed ages ago now- years of bitterness and rivalry amongst the nations seem to have been finally buried for good.

"Don't worry about it." Gaara replied. "You're someone whose existence is essential to the Union, now and in the future. There's no need for you to use such formal words like 'debt' for an operation like this. Isn't it natural for someone to go and save their comrade?"

Gaara himself had come a long way. He never used to be this talkative. Years ago, Gaara used to be the kind of guy who was nothing more than bloodthirsty killing machine and perceived as a monster by even his own comrades.

But now, Sunagakure's shinobi looked at Gaara with affectionate smiles.

Behind Shikamaru, there was Sai, Rou and Soku. Chouji and Ino herself, too. As well as another group of Konohagakure's shinobi. All of them were quiet, attentively listening to Gaara and Shikamaru's conversation.

"But I really am very relieved…" Gaara murmured seriously to Shikamaru. "If my sister hadn't been so troubled, we all would've ended up losing a very valuable person."

'_If my sister hadn't been so troubled.'_

Ino couldn't stop smirking; well the cat was out of the bag now. Surely Shikamaru was smart enough to get the hint.

Temari was standing next to Gaara, her gaze fixed on some spot above their heads, pointedly making an effort to ignore the conversation occurring well within her earshot and line of sight.

Ino wriggled her brows suggestively at Choji who nudged her to pay attention to the conversation.

"Don't worry about Gengo." Gaara said. "We'll drop him off at the Union's headquarters on our way home."

"We keep receiving your help on every little thing…"

"I keep telling you not to speak so formally." Gaara said before he stuck out his hand for Shikamaru.

"Well then, we'll meet again at the Union." Shikamaru said, and grasped Gaara's hand.

"See you later."

"Aa."

Gaara let go of the handhold, turning his gaze to look at his comrades.

"Let's go home." He said, and Sunagakure's shinobi unanimously answered in a cheer.

"What..? That's it?" Soku hissed incredulously.

"He's not even going to thank Temari is he? He's such a doorknob!" Ino whispered angrily sharing Soku's sentiments.

Temari turned her back to leave, and Shikamaru's voice suddenly called out to her.

"Oi."

_Yes. Yes. Yes. _

_I totally called it._

"I knew he'd finally make his move!" Ino announced with an all knowing grin.

"Weren't you just saying that he's a doorknob?" Choji raised a brow.

"Oh hush you! I'm trying to listen!" Ino swatted her teammate.

Temari came to a halt mid-step. The rest of Sunagakure's shinobi looked like they were going to stop too, but Gaara made a gesture for them to go ahead and Sunagakure's shinobi obeyed, spilling out of the village's gates and into the main street. Gaara followed, casting one look over his shoulder at Shikamaru before disappearing.

Only Temari was left.

Somewhere behind Shikamaru, he could faintly hear Soku let out a 'kyaa!'.

Shikamaru ignored her, and drew closer to Temari.

"What is it?" The Sand Kunoichi asked with a frown.

Her eyes seem to size him up and for a minute it looked like Shikamaru had lost his nerve and would opt for a tactical retreat.

The Nara genius took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. It seemed he was having difficulty wording his thoughts.

"Today…"He began but it was no use as his voice trailed off.

"What?" Temari asked impatiently.

Even now, her body was slightly tilted towards the gates to follow the direction her younger brother had gone.

"Thank you, for today."

"Hmph." Temari gave a snort, and Shikamaru continued talking.

"Next time, how about eating a meal together?"

Ino wordlessly reached out and gripped Choji around the arm.

"Are you asking me on a date?" The Sand kunoichi raised a brow.

Choji gave a small yelp as Ino's nails dug in and her grip became tighter.

Temari's gaze was serious as she plainly asked that question. She didn't blush or fidget, the question was asked as plainly as one would ask about the weather.

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

"Well, yeah, it is that sort of thing." His reply came just as blunt as her question.

Ino's eyes went as wide as saucers as she held in her breath waiting for Temari's reply.

"I see." Temari thoughtfully said. "A date, huh…"

Temari put a hand to her chin, as if starting to think seriously about the matter.

It was almost as if she was seated in a war council, talking about preparations for how to deal with a formidable enemy.

"You don't want to?" Shikamaru involuntarily blurted out, his insecurities finally kicking in.

Temari gazed closely at the look on his face for a while. Then she let go of her chin, and put her hands on her hips.

Her face finally broke out in a playful grin as she replied, "How troublesome."

And that was all they needed to hear.

Ino squealed and let out the breath she had been holding. Choji rubbed his poor arm, grinning from ear to ear.

Shikamaru though had eyes only for the woman whose rare smiles took his breath away.

You couldn't ask for a better end to a day.

* * *

XXX

It's been three days since they returned from the Land of Silence and everyone was recuperating nicely. Shikamaru was to meet Temari for dinner later in the day and Ino was trying to micromanage everything- from what he wore to what he'd say (not that Shikamaru was actually paying attention to any of that).

"Ahhh I can't believe you actually asked her out like that!" Ino exclaimed for the thousandth time as Shikamaru sized up the two bouquets in front of him.

"So you keep telling me…" The dark haired Jounin resisted the urge to roll his eyes, turning his attention back to the flowers he sighed, "Don't you have anything less…you know.."

He gestured abstractly.

"Less what exactly?" Ino narrowed her eyes.

"Less I don't know…everything?" Shikamaru answered rubbing his neck, "I'm not even sure she likes flowers…"

"Every girl likes flowers." Ino huffed.

"She's not exactly like every girl."

"Awww Shikamaruuuu that's so romantic!" Ino cooed.

Shikamaru flinched and fought down the pink that tinted his cheeks, "I knew this was a bad idea, coming here…what a drag."

"Stop complaining already!" Ino motioned him to follow her to the back of the shop, "Ok so how about I make you a different smaller bouquet?"

Shikamaru followed wordlessly as the blonde kunoichi started bustling through rows of flowers and plants without waiting for him to even answer.

"Does she like roses? Probably not. Hmm how about these? Oh no. These won't do at all… hmm yes..no…maybe..AH-HAH…no no they mean completely the opposite."

She talked so fast Shikamaru could barely get a word in edgewise.

"This really isn't…necessary…" His words were lost on her.

Once Ino decided to do something it was really hard to convince her otherwise.

"Ok I'm drawing a big blank here! Say something useful Shika!" She rounded on him suddenly.

"Uh..I..hey wait a sec..what's that? That's it. I want that." He reached around and lifted up a small pot with pink flowers.

"Those are desert roses." Ino answered almost involuntarily, "They're low maintenance and pretty resilient too. Careful though, don't let the pretty flowers fool you, the sap is poisonous."

"Sounds just like her. Perfect." Shikamaru grinned.

"You're… going to give your date a …potted plant?" Ino cocked a brow, "Like for real?"

"Yes. It'll last longer than cut flower bouquets and it's practical for where she lives."

Ino opened her mouth to argue but really couldn't think of a "practical" reason why he couldn't give Temari the desert roses.

"Fine." She conceded, while it was an unconventional present for a first date, she had to admit she could more easily picture Temari tending to those instead of gushing over a bouquet of red roses.

"How much do I owe you?" Shikamaru set the plant down on the counter and rummaged in his pocket.

"Like I'd charge you."Ino frowned as she sealed the plant into a scroll for ease of travel, "Get out of here before my mother comes in kills me for letting you even suggest the idea."

"Ino…"

"Fine, you asked for it-you're footing the next round at Yakiniku Q." She smirked knowing that Choji ate enough to put a dent in anyone's wallet.

"…That was underhanded." Shikamaru chuckled as he took the scroll, "Also…is there any particular reason there's a Hyuuga eyeing you?"

"Huh what? I don't sense anyone.." Ino gasped.

"You don't need to sense chakra to know a Hyuuga when you see one." Shikamaru covertly gestured towards the glass shop window.

Ino looked through the corner of her eye and saw a young man dressed in a white kimono-shirt with long, loose sleeves and dark brown pants. He wore bindings that covered both his hands, which held a newspaper that Ino was now sure he was pretending to be engrossed in. Since the newspaper covered his face she couldn't really tell what he looked like.

"That's weird." Ino turned to look quizzically at Shikamaru, "What do you think he wants?"

"Well seeing as he's about to walk in the store, you're about to find out."

The door opened and the small bell atop rang softly to announce the newcomer's entry.

"Welcome to the- uh what are you doing?"

Ino stopped mid sentence as the man bowed deeply.

"Miss Yamanaka."

His voice was deep and husky, the kind of voice well suited for making women swoon.

Shikamaru looked between the man and Ino, his curiosity evident.

"Please there's no need for that…sir." She added the suffix unsurely.

"A-Apologies, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." The man straightened immediately and gave her an apologetic smile.

He was incredibly attractive, his hair a deep chocolate was short at the back but much longer in the front, long straight bangs wrapped in white binds near the ends framed either side of his chiseled face, the only mar on his skin were the thin markings on his forehead that was the makings of the seal placed on him by his House. His signature Hyuuga pale eyes were fixated on her. There was something oddly familiar about him but Ino couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Ino felt her cheeks color and immediately tried to not overtly stare at his handsome face.

"Do you two know each other?" Shikamaru spoke diverting both their attentions.

"No." She replied.  
"Yes." He said.

They answered together. He looked a bit disappointed that she didn't remember him. She bit her lip as she racked her brain for where she'd seen him before.

"Ah it's fine you probably don't remember me… but you helped dispel the genjutsu I was under in The Country of Silence."The Hyuuga finally offered when it was clear Ino couldn't place him.

It finally clicked into place.

"You're HISAO HYUUGA! OHHHH!" She piped up as she realized the last time she saw him he had hair down to his elbows "You got a hair cut!"

Hisao fidgeted a little before answering, "Ah yes I did…does it look odd?"

"What are you talking about? You look fantastic!" Ino winked and giggled as the Hyuuga turned pink and started to fidget, "What can I help you with today?"

"I umm…I'd like…to thank you.. for…"

"Don't worry about it!" Ino smiled and waved her hands dismissively.

Shikamaru quietly watched their exchange from the sidelines, his mind quickly catching on.

"Oh…Well….that was all really…so I think I'll..umm.. be going then…Miss Yamanaka." Hisao stammered.

"Please call me Ino." The blonde tucked a loose strand behind her ear.

"I'll see you around then…I-Ino." He bowed deeply again before rushing out of the store.

Shikamaru rapped his knuckles on the counter to attract Ino's attention.

"Wonder what's up with him?" Ino giggled and shook her head.

"You don't even realize that you're doing it do you…?" Shikamaru sighed as he walked towards the door.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She picked up a few sticks of hydrangeas and followed Shikamaru out.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru started to walk faster.

"Oh no you don't!" Ino hissed and stomped rapidly to pass him and block his path.

"Look, it's none of my business." He shrugged and tried to move past her.

"Explain." Ino grabbed him by the arm and tugged sharply.

He let his features contort in irritation before eyeing the hydrangeas in her other hand, "Are those for Sai?"

"They are, as a matter of fact." The blonde replied, "I was going to visit him after seeing you off."

"Don't you think it's a little cruel to lead Hisao on like that then?"

"Just what are you implying? I would nev- urgh ok fine, maybe I let the attention get to me a teensy bit." She conceded as Shikamaru gave her a pointed stare.

"It's nice to be reminded that some people find me attractive okay!" She backtracked defensively.

_Especially if the person you like never really means it when he calls you Beauty. _

"I really don't want to have this conversation. It's so troublesome. Just try not to complicate things for yourself, Alright?" Shikamaru sighed and turned to take a different path to the city gates.

Ino stood still trying to think his words over as she watched his retreating back. It was just some harmless flirting, right? Shikamaru didn't need to make such a big deal about it. It's not like she and Sai were dating, she wasn't sure if he was even ready for that. Then why was it that she felt so utterly guilty…

She looked at the flowers in her hands, if only it were that simple. If she could forget about Sai and throw herself at someone else it would probably save her a lot of heartache- but no, even when Hisao was stoking her bruised ego, a small part of her couldn't help but wonder whether Sai would be jealous if he knew..? Would he feel something? Would he jump in and send the other man packing? Would he sweep her up and claim her as his own?

It was a childish petty notion, but she wanted it all the same.

* * *

XXX

"Why are you following me?" Shikamaru frowned when Ino caught up.

"I'm seeing you off, you idiot. Do you even know what that means?" She huffed angrily, as she landed on a branch next to his "Also I was hoping to catch up with you while you were actually still in the village!"

"Well I didn't know you were planning to tag along!" The Nara rubbed his temples.

Ino grinned as she raised her hands in one of the mock salutes they came up with while they were still genins, "I wish Cho was here, he'd know what to say better… but I know you'll be absolutely wonderful! Try not to worry too much. Just be yourself 'kay?"

"I-I wasn't worried…"

"Go get her tiger!" She cheered.

"Yeah alright, I'll be going then." Shikamaru sighed and shook his head before his expression softened and he added, "..Thanks Ino. I needed that."

She smiled as her childhood friend disappeared into the trees.

Who would've thought that Shikamaru would be first of their team to score a date?

* * *

XXX

She walked back slowly, humming and cradling the hydrangeas in her arms. If she sprinted she'd be able to make it back to the village in a matter of minutes but she was in a good mood and wanted to take in the sights.

Suddenly she froze as she sensed a very familiar chakra fast approaching, it seemed to be rushing out of the village and cutting through the woods.

"N-No way…." She couldn't help but gasp, quickly she turned and sprinted to intercept the path.

_Was this actually happening? Maybe I'm just mixing it up…but that chakra signature..there could be no doubt about it!_

She caught a flash of dark hair and a brown cloak.

_It was him. He must have been meeting with the Hokage or something judging by the direction he came from. _

"S-Sasuke? It IS you. SASUKE OVER HERE!" Ino rushed after him but he showed no move to slow down.

"Wait up!"

"SAAAASUKEEEEE!"

He was still well ahead of her and moving quickly through the trees, but she was certain he could hear her.

"Oi hotstuff! Hold up!" In a desperate attempt she yelled out.

"-the hell..?" He froze in his tracks and turned around slowly, his features contorted in a scowl, then recognition registered and he added,"Oh…it's you."

_Figures you'd respond to that. _

"It's been forever! How've you been?" She beamed at him.

"Alright." Sasuke nodded curtly.

_How descriptive. _Her inner Ino thought dryly, _and did he always have to look so grumpy? _

This was weird right?

She was actually talking to Sasuke.

Alone.

Her 12 year old self would be dancing with joy at the chance, but while it was true he was still just as attractive as she remembered (albeit some questionable fashion choices- but she had to focus on the important things here), he no longer gave her butterflies with just one look. He no longer made her heart race or make her picture their future children.

Sasuke Uchiha, the man she thought, no she knew, was her soul mate- had been reduced to nothing more than a very attractive man. The likes of Hisao Hyuuga, great to look at, to bat your eye lashes at and use as fodder for your ego- nothing more and nothing less.

Ino flipped her hair back, unphased by his complete lack of interest in prolonging their conversation.

"Well that's good to know! Why don't you stick around for a few days, Saku-"

"Don't say her name." Sasuke suddenly hissed, eyes narrowing.

"Huh? What d'ya mean?" Ino frowned.

"Duck." He mouthed before jumping out of sight.

_Wait what?_

Ino tilted her head in confusion, the same instant a senbon whizzed past, missing her ear by millimeters.

"Darn it.", Sasuke landed behind her, his back to her, "Keep your guard up there's.."

"Two of them yeah," Ino finished for him and whipped out a kunai.

"Good, you sense them then, don't make any sudden moves." Sasuke ordered gruffly.

_So we were being watched. No wonder he was in such a rush to get away. _

"Shouldn't we do something?" Ino scanned the surroundings, trying to see if there was anything they could use to their advantage.

"I already am." His voice was low.

Realization dawned immediately; you don't grow up with Shikamaru without picking up a thing or two about battle tactics.

_Shadow clones of course. They we're just diversions then, while the attackers were focused on Ino and Sasuke, Sasuke's shadowclones would ambush them. Normally ordinary shadow clones wouldn't stand a chance against a half decent shinobi but this was Sasuke Uchiha and nothing about him was ordinary. _

"It's rude to use a woman like this, Sasuke." Ino teased, implying him using her as bait without actually outright saying it, lest the attackers catch on.

Ofcourse, the innuendo that implied a questionable character was just a bonus. Completely unintentional. Ofcourse.

"You're still as loud as ever I see."

"Old habits die hard." Ino gave a dry chuckle, "I can see why we don't see more letters from you. Is it always like this?"

"Hn." Sasuke shifted and then they both heard a shuffle somewhere deeper in the woods.

"We should move now." He stated, "More are coming."

"R-Right." Ino nodded back as he turned to leave, "It was nice seeing you…really."

He nodded at her curtly, but she couldn't help but notice he was no longer scowling.

"She's still crazy about you. You know that right?" She added softly.

He stopped and turned around slowly. His face carefully controlled but she could see the way his shoulders tensed.

"She's doing well, but she misses you… We all do." Ino smiled, while it was true she was no longer in love with Sasuke Uchiha, it would be a lie to say she did not care about him.

Sasuke stood quietly, processing her words. The faintest smile, bittersweet almost, tugging at the corners of his mouth, "…I..", his voice trailed off.

She sensed 2 more chakra signatures approaching ahead, Sasuke must have noticed something too as he immediately tensed up again.

"You should go. I understand. I'll tell her you're looking forward to seeing her." Ino supplied noticing his difficulty at voicing his thoughts.

"Thank you…Ino."

A rustle of leaves and Ino was left alone in the clearing.

* * *

XXX

Ino knocked the door harder. She was breathless, leaves were stuck in her hair and she could tell she could use a shower but right now she was already late as it is.

She shifted her weight from one foot to another, mentally counting to five before knocking again. Her legs ached, she had ran out of the woods the moment Sasuke made his exit and made a beeline straight for Sai's- who was expecting her hours ago as it was.

Since returning from the Land of Silence, she had taken it upon herself to check up on the former Root, considering that both his team mates were still in the Curtain Village cleaning up after the Gengo fiasco, he didn't get a lot of visitors.

The Hokage, Kakashi Sensei, had fortunately taken Shikamaru's recommendation and given Sai some much needed downtime. Considering the drastic measures it took to break Gengo's genjutsu on him, he was doing surprisingly well save for the occasional night terrors and migraines. Ino kept a close eye anyways knowing enough about the mind to understand how vulnerable he was right now, the last thing she wanted was for him to slip into depression. Given the circumstances it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities.

Ino was about to assault the door with another round of knocks when it suddenly swung open and she felt as if her jaw simultaneously hit the ground.

Sai stood wearing a pair of low hanging dark pants, his torso bare save for a few speckles of paint on the left side of chest.

Ino felt a rush of blood to her face and…other bits.

"Oh…Hello, I thought you weren't coming today. Please come in." Sai smiled at her like there was nothing unusual about the scene and moved aside so she could enter.

Ino had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It wasn't everyday that the object of your desire decides to invite you into his house half naked. She couldn't stop her eyes from roaming all over his exposed chest and pinched herself again; she almost certain she had a dream like this once. Except in her fantasies she wasn't covered in sweat and dirt with leaves in her hair- or at least not in this particular fantasy.

"Beauty?" Sai looked at her quizzically when she didn't respond.

"Uh umm…where's your shirt?" Ino asked numbly.

_What the hell are you doing? _Her inner Ino hissed at her, _Why are you questioning a good thing? THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS! _

"I'm working on a large painting and I did not want to get paint on it… I wasn't expecting company.." Sai scratched the back of his head, "I could change if it bothers you…"

_Is that a trick question? _

"Whatever makes you comfortable." Ino's voice hitched mid sentence.

_Ohh that was a good answer, if I do say so myself. Need to work on that delivery though, but we're getting there._

He smiled before he turned around and gestured her in. Ino gulped nervously as she followed him in, her eyes glued to the contours of his back.

Shirts were invented to keep men like him from turning unsuspecting women into putty.

Ino shook her head trying to clear her thoughts; this was not why she was here. She wanted to help him, she cared about him, she wanted to be there for him like he was for her- instead here she was objectifying him like a piece of meat.

_But with a body like that, that's just plain cheating! _

Ino groaned, darn it if it came down to it she'd plunge herself into 'the heart of ice' to keep her thoughts straight- but that was a last resort.

_Pull it together Yamanaka! Think unsexy thoughts…like that time Guy sensei walked around with spandex wedged between his butt. _

_Ok that did it…libido gone. _

_Possibly for good. _

* * *

_XXX_

Sai's apartment was meticulously neat and tidy. Everything arranged and perfectly in place, even the numerous paintings that covered most of the walls were never even the slightest bit skewed. In the middle of the room, there stood a large unfinished canvas, the surrounding floor was covered in paper to prevent paint stains.

"Did you eat already?" Ino asked as she arranged the hydrangeas into an empty ink pot, "Sorry for being so late, I ran into some people."

"Captain Yamato dropped by earlier with some fruit, I don't understand all the fuss though. I feel fine." Sai picked up a brush and prepared to return to his painting.

"Oh hush and just accept the fact that people care about you." Ino perched herself on a side table and watched him work.

Ever since the events in the Country of Silence the two had really opened up to each other, although neither brought up any non platonic conversation.

"So Shikamaru went to meet Temari for their date." Ino commented after a few moments of watching the way the muscles in his arms shifted as he painted.

"I think they're quite compatible. She's driven enough for both of them, and he can get her to relax more often." He spoke as he added a few more strokes to his painting.

"Mhmm. I saw Hinata yesterday and I can't believe she still gets flustered when I insinuate things about her and Naruto. It's so cute you should have seen her face."

"You enjoy putting her on the spot don't you?" Sai accused.

"Oh please you say things to fluster people all the time!" Ino countered.

"Mine aren't on purpose, well for the most part." He smirked.

"Was that a joke? You're getting better." Ino gave a small laugh.

This was one of her favourite things about Sai, that she could talk to him about anything.

"Hey Sai."

"Hmm?"

"Speaking of people I ran into… I saw Sasuke. I think he was meeting with Kakashi sensei," Ino picked her words carefully, the last time the two had brought up Sasuke it had disastrous consequences.

Sai stopped his brush mid air and carefully put it down, "I see."

"We didn't really talk much, we got attacked by some shinobi trailing him."

"Are you hurt?" Sai rushed to her side, face inches from hers.

The concern in his voice and the look in his eyes, coupled with the fact that his naked chest was inches from her made Ino's face go bright red and she shook her head vigorously, unable to put together a verbal answer.

"Oh good." He visibly relaxed and shifted away.

"I just asked him to pay more attention to Sakura you know." Ino stared at her feet, "I mean she really likes him and.."

"You really like him too…" Sai spoke softly.

"I really liked him," She corrected him, "I mean I hope he's doing well and all…but I don't think I want to ... be with him. At least not in the way Sakura does, not anymore."

"Oh."

"I just feel like Sakura's grown so much and I hope he sees that. Any guy would give their right arm to be with a girl like her." Ino mused.

"Well…to be fair… that is his only arm." Sai deadpanned.

_Try not to laugh._

_Do not laugh. _

_No._

_Nope. _

_I'm going to go to hell. _

Ino snickered and shook her head, "Stop that! Stop making me laugh when I really shouldn't! At things I really shouldn't."

Sai grinned and shrugged, "I can't really help it. I really like making you laugh."

Ino didn't even fight the blush this time, "I really like that you make me laugh too."

* * *

XXX\

* * *

**A/N**

**This took forever to write and Im still not completely happy with it, I feel it's better in my head than in writing…idk if that makes sense. Anywho, I hope it didn't drag on too long, I know it's a lengthy chapter.**

**Also I love me some ShikaTema cutefluffs. Hisao Hyuuga I am so sorry for using you so callously in this fanfic (a moment of silence for this poor OC). I've never really written sasusaku before so I hope I didn't mess sasuke up and make him too OOC. Btw, dunno if I made it understandable, but in this fic Sasuke doesn't write much to Sakura since he doesn't want the people tracking/watching him to know about his relationship with her, basically doesn't want her to be targeted as well. **

**Please let me know what you think, it really does make my day.**

**And oh THANK YOU for reading xoxo**


	27. Chapter 27- Pig

**Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto made Naruto. I am a fan, this is fiction based off of his work.**

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

"You did WHAT?" Sakura Haruno leaned across the counter at the Yamanaka Flower Shop to glare daggers at her best friend.

The clean up team had finally returned from the Land of Silence and Ino was having the time of her life laying out the events of the past week.

"You heard me Forehead." Ino grinned, "I was just minding my own business, strolling through the forest and… lo and behold who do I run into but Konoha's Dark Prince."

"This better not be a joke Ino-Pig!" Sakura hissed cutting her off.

"It's not! I guess Sasuke just couldn't help but get one last look at what he's missing out on." Ino sighed dramatically, "Oh you should have seen it, it was so heart wrenching…"

Sakura raised a brow.

"'Ino, you've become more radiant than the rising sun.'" The blonde mimicked the gruff man, then added her own reply in a sweet sing song, ' Oh Sasuke, we can't, you're promised to another ..'"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Quit the theatrics Pig! What really happened?"

Ino pouted and crossed her arms, "You're such a party pooper."

"Ino…" Sakura looked straight into her eyes, "…Please."

Ino opened her mouth but closed it; Sakura's green eyes bore into her own with an intensity she had never seen before. It was strange how the mere mention of Sasuke Uchiha was enough to light the fire that had seemed almost extinguished in her best friend.

She wasn't in love with him, at least not anymore…but Sakura was.

Even so, admitting he didn't choose her still stung.

"Congratulations, Sakura." She looked down at her feet and felt her playful smirk slip off as she added softly, "You win."

"Huh?" Sakura frowned at the sudden shift in mood.

"He loves you." Ino looked up and flashed her best friend a wide smile.

"He said that?" Sakura gaped incredulously.

"Well, not in those exact words." Ino shrugged, "but it was implied more or less."

Green eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Don't toy with me Ino."

"Would I lie to you?" She asked in an offended tone as she grabbed a handful of flowers.

Sakura raised a brow.

"Okay fair enough, would I lie to you about this though?"

Sakura's shoulders slumped and she shook her head, "I'm sorry…I just.."

"It's alright. I get it. You don't have to apologize." Ino turned her back to Sakura and started arranging the flowers into bouquets.

"Sometimes I wonder if he's just waiting for me to give up on him."

"Why would you say that?!" Ino dropped her flowers and whipped around.

"Everything is so cryptic with him. I don't know what to think anymore." The pinkette chewed her bottom lip.

"Sakura, he's just in a weird place right now… probably literally even. I'm sure he'd rather tell you in person himself but the guy can barely stand two minutes before a new thing comes up." Ino reassured, "Honestly, he's looking forward to seeing you soon too. He misses you."

"Really?"

"You should have seen the way he looks when I talk about you." Ino smiled and winked as Sakura turned the same shade as her hair, "Calm down Forehead, don't go into heat just yet."

Sakura snorted and smiled back at the kunoichi in front of her, "Oh hush up Pig!"

The bell atop the door jingled breaking up their friendly banter.

"Oh…I did not mean to interrupt." The brown-haired man started to turn away.

"It's alright, we were just talking. Come on in, how can I help you?" Ino chirped as she seamlessly fell into her salesgirl mode, "Oh wait, Hisao! No don't bow. How many times do I have to keep telling you not to do that?"

The brown haired man straightened immediately and turned pink, "M-miss Yamanaka I hope you're well t-today. G-good-afternoon Miss Haruno."

"Ino. Just Ino is fine, and call her Sakura. You're making us feel old!" Ino giggled and swatted Sakura who had her eyebrows raised.

"S-sorry."Hisao stepped forward and cleared his throat, "I-I'd like some f-flowers please."

"Well, seeing that this is a flower shop, you've come to the right place then." Ino grinned.

Hisao turned red and fidgeted with his hands, "R-right. Of course."

"Quit picking on him Pig! Hey there, sorry about her, she's a bit daft. Are you looking for anything in particular? Maybe I can help you out." Sakura offered kindly.

"N-no! It's fine.. she's not…I mean I'm not.." Hisao mumbled an incoherent jumble of words before grabbing the closest bouquet off the shelf, "T-these are fine."

Ino rang up his bouquet and smiled as he thanked her profusely.

"Oh those are pretty! I hope whoever it's for likes them!" Sakura remarked.

Hisao's pale eyes went wide as he shook his head, "I-it's not what you think. T-they're just for the house."

It sounded almost like an apology and aimed mostly at the girl behind the counter.

Ino grinned and gestured dismissively with her hands, "You don't owe us any explanations."

He looked like he wanted to say more but in the end he decided to bow and rush out.

"Well…that….was interesting." Sakura turned the moment the shop door closed behind the departing Hyuuga, "It's like a Hinata in Neji's body."

"That sounds disturbing on a lot of levels…but I know what you mean." Ino made a face instead of looking for the right word, "He's been buying flowers every day since we got back."

" Ino…."

"Yes yes I know. I've already had that lecture from Shika, one will suffice thank you."

"…He's so cute though."

"I knowwwww right… but urgh." Ino shook her head, "My heart just wouldn't be in it."

"Yeah, I know what you mean…how is Sai anyways?"

"He's doing a lot better now, but he's still recovering- something he seems to forget. He hates being told to relax; it's really frustrating trying to get him to understand his body and mind need rest to recuperate!" Ino ran her hand through her hair, "Honestly, it's like he thinks he's a machine or something.."

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" The blonde frowned.

"You sound like your mother during your dad's T&amp;I days." Sakura grinned and ducked as Ino threw a bouquet at her.

"I do not!" Ino blushed furiously.

"Easy on the merchandise; what kind of flower shop throws flowers at customers?" Sakura giggled as she brushed off petals from her shoulder.

Ino rolled her eyes as she took off her apron, "The kind that's about to close."

"Did you tell him yet?"

"Tell him what?" Ino turned the open sign to closed and gestured Sakura to follow her out.

"You know, I mean, did you tell him how you feel?" Sakura clarified.

Ino stopped mid step causing Sakura to almost bump into her back.

"I don't think I will." She spoke softly.

"WHAT?" Sakura exclaimed loudly causing a few passersby to jump in shock.

Ino cringed, "A little louder Sakura, I'm sure there are people in Suna who haven't heard you."

"Don't change topics, what do you mean you won't tell him!?" Sakura hissed in much lower tone.

"Things are good between us, he's finally opening up and I don't want to ruin everything by bringing up what I want anymore." She shrugged and shook her head, "It'll just confuse him."

"But you don't know that. If you don't tell him you'll never know." Sakura urged.

"Can we talk about something else?" Ino shifted uncomfortably.

"Ino.." Sakura reached for her.

"I'm okay Sakura, really. Let's just go get something to eat okay?" Ino tugged at a loose strand of hair absently.

"…okay." Sakura conceded and let Ino lead the way to a dango stall.

The pinkette was about to bite into her dango when her best friend piped up.

"Speaking of which… I saw Sai half naked and nearly had a heart attack."

"YOU WHAT?!"

Ino grinned and skipped ahead, only to almost choke on her dango when Sakura caught up and inquired coyly, "Which half?"

It really was good to have Sakura back.

* * *

XXXX

Sai was in the middle of another painting when Ino went to check up on him. His pale face was flecked with paint and his dark hair disheveled; however this time he had the decency to put on a shirt before he answered the door. Ino was thankful for the latter since Sakura had tagged along, despite having more than her share of fun describing Sai's torso to Sakura, given a choice she'd rather keep that treat for her own eyes only.

"Sakura, you just missed Naruto. He just left about a minute ago." Sai greeted Sakura first before turning to Ino, "Hello, Beauty. Did you bring me another present?"

Ino smiled at him warmly, "I did, but only if you can tell me what it means correctly."

She held out a small bunch of white flowers with yellow centers, "Feverfew."

"Good health." Sai answered without a second's thought, "That one was easy."

It was a small game they had started playing, Sai liked to hear her talk about flowers almost as much as she loved to watch him paint, eventually he started trying to figure out the meanings of the flowers she brought him every day; one thing led to a another and it turned into a game for both. So far he had been right three days in a row, Ino was rather proud of how fast he picked up on it- then again she was a fantastic teacher if she did say so herself.

She handed the flowers over to Sai, and only when he stepped closer did she notice the bags under his eyes.

"Sai haven't you been sleeping right?" Sakura must have noticed the same thing, "Kakashi sensei did put you on a break right?"

"I'm not really tired, it's alright." Sai shrugged, "I feel restless, and I'm not doing anything useful. This break was really unnecessary."

"See what I mean Sakura." Ino frowned, "I keep telling him to relax but he keeps pushing himself. He even tried to sneak off onto a mission with Captain Yamato."

"I feel perfectly fine. I merely wanted to accompany him on a tracking expedition." Sai countered in his monotone.

"Sai, you've done plenty for the village.. what you need right now is to take a load off. Seriously I'm not going to clear you for missions anytime soon so you might as well make the most of it." The medical prodigy spoke curtly, "Listen to Ino, she's just trying to take care of you."

"Take care of me?" Sai repeated the words mostly to himself, "But why?"

Ino stood perfectly still for a moment. She would be lying if she said the words did not hurt, but by now she knew Sai well enough to know the idea of having someone else look after him was alien to him.

She could feel Sakura watching her closely as she spoke, "Because you need it."

Sai opened his mouth to say otherwise but Ino grabbed him by the arm and yanked, "Now enough talk, you're covered in paint go take a shower. I'll fix you something to eat, yes I know you can just have tofu, but that's no way to live."

"There is nothing wrong with tofu." The former Root could feel a smile forming as Ino made a face.

"There is nothing right with tofu either, now go go go."

"I still have to a bit of the painting left." Sai complained as Ino pushed and pulled him towards his room with Sakura quietly in tow.

"The painting can wait, we on the other hand" Ino tilted her head towards Sakura, "would rather not."

* * *

XXX

"Wow, you really have a way with him you know." Sakura commented when Sai was out of earshot.

Ino stopped chopping carrots and shrugged, "He just needs a bit of a push in the right direction."

"No really, did you notice he kept smiling the entire time." Sakura shook her head in disbelief, "I've never seen Sai like this. It's almost like he enjoys you bossing him around."

"EX-CU-SE me!?" Ino hissed pointing a carrot in jabbing motion towards her best friend, "I do NOT boss him around!"

Sakura rolled her eyes before sitting up on the counter next to where Ino was cooking, "You really care about him a lot huh?"

Ino continued cooking without meeting Sakura's eyes.

"I still think you should tell him." The pinkette said before hopping off the counter and making her way to the door, "I should get going, I promised my parents I'd spend more time with them once I got back."

"You're so obvious." Ino made a face, "I know what you're trying to do, Forehead. If you have something to say, just say it already."

"I think you should take your own advice." Sakura closed the door behind her.

"Did Sakura just leave?" Sai stood at the doorway, fresh out of the shower, bare-chested and wearing a pair of black pajama bottoms.

Ino felt her mouth go dry as he strode into the kitchen, his dark hair still dripping wet.

_My body is ready. _Inner Ino swooned.

"S-Sakura had some work to do." Ino sputtered, her eyes glued to his body.

_Tell him how I feel huh? Fairly certain right now what I feel would provide enough material for the next volume of Icha-Icha._

"Oh.." He commented before covering his mouth to muffle a sneeze.

"Sai, you're going to catch a cold!" Ino snapped out of her hormone induced euphoria, "Go put on shirt and where do you keep your towels?"

* * *

XX

She wasn't quite sure how it happened, but Ino found herself in Sai's room towel drying his hair. He was sitting on his bed, making his face level with her chest, she could faintly feel his warm breath and it sent her insides into frenzy.

The pale man sneezed again earning another frown from Ino. She lifted the towel and puffed her cheeks.

"You've gone and caught yourself a cold haven't you?"

"Sorry." Sai apologized with a small smile.

"You don't look very sorry." Ino glared and puffed her cheeks, "What's so funny?"

"I can see why Sakura calls you that." Sai continued smiling.

"Hn?" Ino leaned closer, confusion written clearly on her face.

Sai lifted a pale hand and booped her nose, "Oink."

Ino blinked once. Twice.

_Did he just..?_

Sai sniggered and attempted to cover his mouth.

"Why you little..! Did you just call me pig?" She pounced at him, making him fall backwards.

The landed on the bed together, she continued glaring her temper clouding all other senses.

"It's not funny." She hissed.

He grinned and did the unthinkable.

She blinked as she felt the tap on her nose again.

"Oink."

She felt her anger flare but before she could react she heard it.

His laugh.

It was warm, deep and filled the entire room; Ino had never heard anything so beautiful. It was a contagious thing too; Ino was surprised when she heard her own lilting laugh join his, at that moment Sai's face caught her eye, she couldn't help the warmth spreading through her chest.

His eyes were squeezed shut as his body shook, twisting his head to a side as the wonderful sound left his lips. For the first time Ino actually thought Sai looked like he was truly happy, it tugged at her heart and she felt her expression soften.

"Okay so maybe it was a little funny," Ino conceded when their laughs finally died down, "but do that in front of anybody, and I'll break your arm."

"Understood." Sai nodded and replied in a solemn voice straightening his face.

There was a second of silence before they both broke into laughs again.

Ino rested her forehead against his, trying to catch her breath. It was only then did she realize that she was lying on top of him.

Their faces were inches apart, her hair fell past her shoulder and pooled around the sides of his face, Sai too seemed to become hyper aware of her presence as a light pink tinge colored his normally pale cheeks. His eyes seemed impossibly dark as they bore into her.

She could feel his breath on her lips, her heart hammered in her chest, she was faintly aware that Sai's arms were around her and wait what?

_Were his arms around me this whole time? When did that happen? Wait..was… that what she think she felt?!_

A furious blush spread over her cheeks as she tried to shift and felt something brush against her thigh.

At that moment something struck the window with a sharp tap breaking off their silent eye contact.

"I'm so sorry!" Ino practically leapt up.

"W-wait! Beauty I-I.." Sai started to get up.

"No don't get up!" Ino could feel the blood rise in her face and shook her head frantically, "It's fine, you don't have to explain anything. I left dinner downstairs, I should get going. See you tomorrow. Kay."

She ran out without another word, unable to bring herself to look at him. Her face was beet red and her heart was still going a million miles an hour.

Back in his room Sai slumped back into his bed, sighing as he used an arm to cover his face.

* * *

XXX

* * *

**A/N:**

**I have writer's block, this chapter may seem subpar. Urgh I don't know but something about this chapter is really bothering me, I hope it's just me and that it's not that bad… Apologies for the long wait, working on a Sai chapter that should tie everything in nicely. **

**What do you guys think of Hisao? Can you guys guess what his role will be? Also, guysss help me with my writer's block, if y'all have any ideas I'd love suggestions!**

**Thank you all so much for being patient with me and reading my story. Let me know your thoughts so far! Much love xoxo**

**Replies to Reviews:**

I've neglected replying to reviews far too long! So starting from all the way back in chap21 hahah, I'm sorry I couldn't reply to the anons; but please know that I loved reading every single review I've gotten so far and it really does make my day. A general thank you to everyone who took the time to write out a review, y'all are awesome x

**DiaG14** Thanks for giving me that little outline of what you knew about sakura hiden! Really helped me lots, I still can't find more translated chapters so I'm not sure if I'll be able to relate my story to that

**HerosReprise** I love the fact that you always take the time to review every single chapter and honestly it is really the best feeling ever for me because not only does it make me feel appreciated, but since you write in detail every bit that you liked or worked well in the story I feel your reviews have really helped me become a better writer! You are a wonderful person and I adore you to bits!

**bittersweet-temari** ee I sqealed so loud when you said that my story is realistic enough to be dubbed Ino hiden ahahha I think this particular chapter was a wee bit OOC but I think Sai is different when he is alone with Ino (most guys I know are around their S/Os) and shika-ino-cho beating Gengo was so much fun to write! I'm glad you liked that part!

**chocolatte-delight** Your review was so fantastic. I just re-read every time I feel like Im a shoddy writer, the idea that you feel you can connect with the version of Ino I wrote up just makes me soo happy! Thank you soo much for your review!

**Hokori-Hori-Chan** heyooo woah I can't believe you found me off of tumblr, I have no idea how to properly use that site *cries like a loser* I'm so bad with it, I started using a few months ago haha As for the timeline I'm not exactly certain but it is after the war but before the NaruHina wedding. Probably after The Last (or maybe even during) whatever works for you (I'm bad at math don't make me think :'( )

**Nico Deh** Thank you! I hope after all the excitement from the shika hiden chapters these won't seem too boring.

**maufullbuster21** ahhh tumblr is taking over my life! I'm spending hours looking at random gifs and stalking blogs hahah Thanks for all your support with my story and the great reviews!

**Queenies** I'm glad you can connect with the characters, I did try my best to make them all well rounded and realistic. Let me know your thoughts on the chapter!

**Soul Raider 116** haha I spend so much time talking about what the characters are thinking (esp in Sai chapters) it's good to know you actually enjoy reading it and not find it annoying haha. This chapter was a bit different than my usuals, hope it wasn't too out of funk. I was so focused on the Sai chapter I'm working on, I couldn't put in much more here.

**CasperInezz** well one of your predictions were on point! Short fluffest it was!

**SnowLili** you're too nice! This is my first time writing fanfiction or anything on a public site really so I feel very self conscious haha

**fanofthisfiction** yes I do feel with complex characters like Sai, I really had to focus more on his thought processes rather than his actions. Often he does things without understanding what the action means.

**nann3052** I know what you mean, I wish they'd both get with the flow and makeout already! Sai really is so difficult to write haha

**itchy uchiha** glad you liked the Shika Hiden bits!

**dax the unbelievable** hahah awww Thank you!

**the aspiring cynic** you are making me waaaay too happy! Im glad that you count this amongst the best SaixIno you've read! It really motivates me to keep writing when I read reviews as nice as yours!

**Devektra** Dev! I'm so glad you liked the last few chapters! Ino saving Sai made me go all eeeeeeee when I read the Shika Hiden novel. Damsel in distress? Well Ino is having none of that sh*t. And HISAO, yess that's exactly how I imagine him too, a brooding older version of Neji with short hair…except he's a total dork around Ino. Hahha

**Ireadnonstop** Thank you! I'm so glad you've enjoyed my story, and yes Choji is probably the most down to earth character in Naruto, totally a "tub of love" :D

**PacificaRose** you read it in one day O_O damn that's commitment. I hope it was worth it, because I can imagine how annoying it is to spend ages reading something and realizing its still unfinished ahhhaha

**bearythebear** Thank youuu! Glad you enjoyed it! Hope you like this chapter, I'm feeling it's a bit so-so

**Uchiha-Dani-Uzumaki** I'm so happy that you also think that Sai and Ino is a love-story that took time to develop. Sai being Sai would probably need to figure out what feelings are first before he can be all "I'm in love" hahah

**FluffyBots**Yeah Bird's death in Hisao's mind was one of the few moments I had to stop and go, well you know this Gengo guy does have a point lol. Also, I had a hard time imagining Sai other than the guy who just says funny things haha I had to get inspired by some fanart before I decided you know what is guy is a hottie and if he smiles for real it would be soooo dreamy hahah *fangirl much?*

**chemistrykim** Sai's childhood is probably worse than Naruto's I think. At least he had Iruka, all Sai had was Danzo *shudder* and Shin but Shin died so that's even more depressing. But Im so glad he can be happy around Ino, he makes me laugh so hard too!

**glowingcheat** aww thank you for that wonderful review! I hope I'm doing a good job converting you slowly to the SaixIno ship. Come join us, we have cookies! X

**Matt Kirby's Jinchuuriki** Yayy I'm glad you liked my story! I tried my best to keep everyone as in character as I could, but gosh it's so hard to write Sai and Sasuke!

**chibieiki** I made you ditch work and homework, uh-oh I hope you're not in any trouble! AND YASSS I love that you're a hardcore SaixIno fan, there's so few of usssss! We need to stick together. Ino is my favourite character of all time, such a fun girl to write!

**AVMfreak96** Europe was so much fun, thanks for asking! Sai falling asleep in Ino's arm was really my favorite part of this entire story so far!

**LoveGlutton** to quote you from earlier: "looks like things are looking up." YEP. *hides face* I made a dirty joke teehee

**Mest** Thanks for the reviews! Im trying to fit some Sakura hiden but I cant find good translations and so Im not sure if I can :/

**duchessliz** I'm so glad you liked the Sai chappies, I'm working on a new one right now but gosh its taking forever!

**bearythebear** I imagined them sitting while hugging, but yeah I re-read the chapter and the positioning does seem awkward..opps I guess since Sai fell asleep sitting would be the more realistic stance.

**crybabies** GAH I KNOW RIGHT? How adorable are Sai and Ino? I wish they would just have 100 babies already. SO COOT I HAVE DIABEETUS TOO

**Lavendor Queen** Hisao keeps getting the short end of the stick. I want to pet him and say take one for the team.

**Sweet Petit** I know what you mean Sai and Ino really go sooo well together. They both balance each other out!

**chibieiki** sorry for another small chapter, next one will be longer promise

**drowninglinguists** Thank you for your lovely review! I'm glad you enjoyed my story! Sai's lines are always so much "win" for me hahah and I can't help but have ShikaTema make cameos they're perfection!

**RadicalEdward6** Thanks! I love Sai so much I'm always scared I'll him OOC, hope I haven't yet!

**Swagger1354** Hope you liked the new chapter! Thanks so much, the fact that you would consider re-reading my story made my day!

**Ragdoll Physics** Heyyy! You're lucky considering I just saw you reviewed about an hour ago about a fast update and boom update! Hahhha Im so glad you like my story! As for where I am from, guess guess I won't tell *evil laugh*

**Foxypepperpot **awww you're absolutely lovely! Thank you!

**Nikolai.K **I cannot tell you how funny your PMs are but thanks for the reviews, the much awaited Sai chapter is under works!


	28. Chapter 28- (Interlude: Sai) Bonds

**Heyo long time no see, the format of this chapter is a little weird since I used two different writing styles, large portions are flashbacks and/or thoughts- this takes place 'timeline-wise' earlier than the events in the last chapter.**

**Sorry for the late update, have a suckie schedule atm and there was an earthquake here so I am freaked out and what not.**

**Disclaimer: Do not own any of the characters what-so-ever**

* * *

**XX**

* * *

'_**You are no one.'**_

'_**A nameless pawn.'**_

'_**Disposable.'**_

His eyes snapped open; it was still dark outside, the streetlamps were casting an eerie glow on the walls. He lay in bed staring at the revolving blades of the ceiling fan overhead; half formed thoughts flitted though his mind.

_Another dream._

Sai sat up slowly and sighed, Gengo had done quite the number on him. He was discharged from the hospital a while ago but he could still hear faint echoes of the poisoned words that were used to turn him against his comrades.

Sometimes the lines between Gengo and Danzo would get blurred in his dreams, he wasn't quite sure who had said what, but words he had long since repressed would often surface bringing back memories he didn't even know he had.

'_We've been over this. Never aim for the jugular.' The auburn haired man adjusted his standard Anbu mask, 'Look at this mess.'_

'_S-sorry.' Sai hung his head, his hands trembled as the blood dripped off the end of his tanto. _

'_Lord Danzo won't be too happy with sloppy work like this, get yourself together boy.' The auburn man gestured to the body, 'Help me clean this up.'_

He stretched as he walked towards his worktable, trying to shut out the images flashing by. He slumped down on his chair, and took out his old picture book. He traced a thumb over the image of Shin he drew on the cover.

'_I'm ordering you two to fight to the death!' Danzo had barked as the color drained from their faces._

Sai gritted his teeth as he tried to shake off the memory.

'_Listen to me, you have to kill your emotions,' Shin fought back another cough, the blood seeped through the corners of his mouth, '..otherwise your duty will destroy you.'_

He gripped the side of the worktable so hard his knuckles turned white.

A small part of him wondered if she had seen that too; she probably had, he was admitted to the hospital soon after their return from The Land of Silence- his stomach clenched uncomfortably as he thought back to his mental assessment. He couldn't remember much but when he opened his eyes they had met hers.

_Blue, he was sure they were blue, but up close he could make out that they did in fact have some green in them. He had no idea how long he spent just staring into them before she finally blinked and removed her hands from the sides of his face- they were cool against his feverish skin and although he hadn't noticed them earlier somehow his skin protested the absence of her touch._

'_I'm sorry for that,' She spoke softly._

'_And..?' Kakashi Hatake came into his line of vision, his visible eye trained on the back of Ino's head. _

'_He's clean.' The Yamanaka heiress confirmed-her voice firm but strained._

_Sai blinked in confusion._

'_It's alright Sai.' The Hokage approached closer and patted him on the shoulder, 'Just making sure Gengo's still not in your head. Standard procedure for all those who were under his genjutsu.'_

_Sai nodded in understanding, 'I see.' _

_He looked over at Ino, who had her hands in trembling fists; she was pointedly looking down avoiding any eye contact. This confused him, he was sure he had not done anything to upset her._

'_Well then, now that it's settled, when do you think he'll be cleared for duty?' Kakashi Sensei asked warily. _

_Ino's head snapped up as she glared at the Hokage, and opened her mouth to seemingly argue when the door slid open. _

'_Oh you're up.' Shikamaru Nara entered flanked by an annoyed looking nurse. _

'_You should really be resting, please return to your room.' The nurse seemed to have been repeating those words for a while now judging by her exasperated expression._

'_Just give me sec, this is the last one alright.' Shikamaru rubbed his temples, 'How're you feeling Sai? Had us all worried there for a bit.'_

'_I-I I'm okay. I feel fine really.' The dark haired former Root furrowed his brows, 'Did something happen?' _

'_You passed out when we were at the gates, but I'm glad you're alright.' The Nara genius beamed, then noticing the death glare Ino had fixed on the Hokage he sighed, 'Did you..?'_

_Ino shifted her attention to her teammate, her glare did not soften._

'_He's clean.' Kakashi Sensei answered, trying to diffuse the tension._

'_You had no right…no right to make me do that.' She got up suddenly, her chair clattering down at the movement._

'_Ino, drop it.' Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. _

'_Don't you dare take his side again!' Ino hissed._

'_Uh.. look he's alright so that's what's important right?' The Hokage gestured towards Sai- who now sat upright trying his best to understand what was happening. _

'_Well that wouldn't even be a question if you hadn't assigned him that suicide mission in the first place!?' Ino countered._

_Before either Shikamaru or Kakashi could say anything else she barreled past them._

'_He's not just some tool in your shed, he's a human being!' She slammed the door behind her._

_There was a moment of awkward silence before Shikamaru sighed._

'_That girl… seriously… so troublesome.' He shook his head and turned to Sai, 'Sorry you had to see that.'_

'_She's pretty scary… I didn't think she'd have another go at me.' The Hokage scratched the back of his head._

'_That's Ino for you. I have to admit though, she chewed you out better than I imagined.' Shikamaru grinned._

'_A fair warning would have been nice.' The copy-nin sighed before addressing Sai. _

'_Sai…I..' Kakashi Sensei looked at Sai seriously, 'I know I may overwork you at times, but you do know that's because you have one of highest success rates in Konoha, I don't think of you as…. as.. a tool..' _

_Sai furrowed his brows, it seemed Kakashi sensei was distressed by Ino's words. Yet, he couldn't understand where that had come from, he had no complaints about the missions assigned to him- infact Kakashi sensei was the only person he had worked under who actually gave him a choice. He always had the option to turn down missions, he simply chose not to._

'_I do not share Ino's sentiments if that is what you fear Sensei.' Sai answered honestly. _

_Kakashi sighed, his visible eye crinkled in a smile, 'That's good to hear, I was getting worried there for a bit.' _

'_Speaking of things you should be worried about… don't you have paperwork or something? Should you really be lounging around here? It's almost midday.' Shikamaru interjected. _

'_Uhh…given the circumstances ...I would think…' _

_Shikamaru frowned causing the copy-nin to concede, 'Fine. I'll get going.' _

_When Kakashi Sensei had left, Shikamaru made towards the door too, much to the relief of the nurse accompanying him; but before he left he glanced back at Sai._

'_The village elders insisted on the mental assessment. You were unconscious so Ino vouched for you… They.. made her probe your mind..' The shadow bender spoke frankly._

'_It was either her or Santa, and he isn't exactly known for his gentle touch.' Shikamaru continued mistaking Sai's silence for protest. _

'_Do you know where she went?'_

_Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow, apparently that was not the first question he expected Sai to ask, 'Well she just got out of __your__ head, so you tell me.'_

_With that he allowed the nurse to finally pull him away. _

_Sai racked his head, there were a million places she could be but if he recalled correctly he did often find her near the Konoha memorial stone. He scanned the room and found his clothes and pack at the foot of the bed, quickly changing out of the hospital gown he carefully opened the window- there was no way they would let him leave out the front door without a discharge approval- so he stepped out on to the ledge._

* * *

_X_

_In the end he found her not at the memorial stone but at Konoha Cemetery. She stood motionless in front of her father's headstone, her long hair swaying ever so slightly in the wind._

"_How come you never told me?" She said in a flat voice when he started to approach her._

_Sai felt his mouth go dry. What had she seen? The missions he went on while at Root? All the people he had killed? _

"_This isn't the first time you've had a Yamanaka in your head, is it?" Ino finally looked at him._

_He blinked; momentarily confused, then shook his head, there was no point lying to her- she already knew, "Danzo would usually refer to him as Fū."_

"_I..didn't know Yamanakas were in Root too." Ino glanced briefly at her father's headstone again before turning back to Sai, "I'm.. so.. sorry.. h-he.. I had no idea... "_

"_Please, don't be upset. I didn't think it was important and…"_

"_Sai, he…erased all your memories… your bonds…how is that not important?!" Her voice cracked as her eyes started to brim with tears, "It's irreversible. You'll never know who your parents were, or your childhood… not even your own name… only Root… A Yamanaka did this..."_

_She looked down at her own trembling hands as the tears streamed down her face. _

_Watching her made his chest ache, he wanted her to stop crying- he would do anything to make her smile again but he was lost. He knew little of comforting others, his previous attempts with his team mates had often led to simply more awkward situations. If only there was some way he could let her know he'd rather have his mind probed a million times over than have her cry because of him again._

_So he did what he always did, he told her the truth. _

"_He did as Danzo ordered. If he hadn't- my tasks at Root would have destroyed me." Sai reached for her out of instinct, "I don't …hold it against him, nor your clan and.. especially not you..."_

_He brushed his fingertips against her wet cheeks; she looked up at him on contact, her blue-green eyes shining. _

"_..and while it is true I'll never have my old memories back, I have made new ones since then and …new bonds with people who are so very precious to me… it is more than I could have ever asked for."_

_She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. He felt color rise to his cheeks but didn't feel the need to complain._

_She started to mumble something against his chest, the feel of her lips against him made his stomach do a funny dance and he fought down the urge to place his hands on her._

_Carnal desire. _

_This was one feeling he was ashamed to admit he was steadily getting overtly familiar with. It didn't really help that all of the books Kakashi Sensei had lent him over the past few months had been centered graphically around the topic either._

_Whatever the case was, from what he could tell- expressing such a desire for a friend or comrade was generally frowned upon unless it was mutual. It was clearly a complicated process and one he was certain he would not be able to navigate without further research._

_He looked down at the blonde in his arms, he realized she was still mumbling and unable to keep himself stoic any longer he cleared his throat. _

"_Oh..sorry. I just realized I'm not speaking very clearly am I?" Ino sniffed as she lifted her head, "I'm such a mess, I was saying I'm really sorry for getting into your head earlier while you were still out of it. It wasn't right."_

"_You don't have to apologize; the council's orders have to be followed." Sai answered her briskly, "Shikamaru told me you tried to vouch for me. That was kind of you."_

_Ino rolled her eyes, "I'm your friend, you idiot. Of course I'd vouch for you, so would Shikamaru or Sakura and Naruto if they were there." _

_Sai felt himself beam at her, "You really think so?" _

_She giggled; it was a really pleasant sound Sai decided, "Honestly, you're like a child Sai." _

_Suddenly she was pulling him by the arm._

"_Uh Beauty, where are we going?" He asked when she started off the opposite direction of the hospital. _

"_To visit Shin." She smiled at him and all he could do was gape. _

* * *

_X_

_She dragged him to a familiar clearing in the middle of the woods, the wind had picked up and her long hair tickled at his face. _

_Her shampoo smelled like berries but he could pick out the subtle undertone of antiseptic that came from working at the hospital and hints of something floral too- no surprise there considering she was a part time florist. _

_It was pleasant, however when he held her close he could smell __**her**__, the real her… and it was something more difficult to describe… she smelled like…Ino. _

_Like sunshine and butterflies…like a raging storm and crashing waves…she smelt of warmth on a cold night and umbrella in the rain. He didn't know how to put it into meaningful context- she smelt… right._

_She gave him a sharp tug and finally came to a stop, "Here..I think this is about right."_

_He took in the surroundings, there was no mistake, this was where he had fought with Shin all those years ago, "He's not…buried here or anything… You know that right?"_

"_Well neither is my father at any of his memorials." She said it easily but he could see how her smile faltered ever so slightly. _

"_..That was inconsiderate of me…wasn't it?" Sai asked softly already knowing the answer. _

_Ino bit her lip as if considering her answer, "After the battle, while everyone celebrated… I searched for hours in the rubble of HQ. I clawed through the debris till my fingers bled….when Shikamaru finally let Choji drag me away I think I had cried myself hoarse… that was the first and last time Shikamaru ever offered me a cigarette…it tasted almost as bitter as I felt." _

_She squeezed his hand in hers, "Hey don't look at me like that, I'm alright now. It's okay to feel bitter and sad, as long as you get past it. It's hard but you just have to get up and move forward." _

"_Whenever I feel lost, I go to dad's memorials. I feel like he's watching me, listening to me, like he never left. I know he's always with me but it helps having a place to go to, a place just for him. So you see, even if Shin's not buried here, just having a place where you feel he's there..with you…it's.. I can't explain it..you'll see." _

_Sai watched her smile at him as she rubbed away the tears that had started to well up in her eyes, it was so strange how someone could be so incredibly strong but vulnerable at the same time- perhaps it was one of the things that made her so beautiful. _

_He froze in place as he processed his words. He had always called her Beautiful…but somewhere along the line he realized he had honestly started to mean it._

* * *

_X_

"_Pick a spot." Ino nudged him, "Go on."_

_Sai walked slowly before crouching down in the center of the clearing, he touched the ground where Shin had said his last words to him and felt a soft squeeze on his shoulder. He looked up to meet Ino's eyes, in the middle of the all trees they looked more green than they ever had._

_She smiled warmly as she crouched down next to him, "This it?" _

_Sai nodded._

_Ino pulled out a kunai and fixed it on the spot to mark it out, "Here then, it's not exactly fancy but we'll work on that later."_

_Sai stared at the kunai wedged in the ground, unsure of what was supposed to come next._

"_Well don't just stare at it, say something." Ino smacked him lightly on the arm. _

_He turned to her and blinked._

_Ino let out an exasperated sigh before shaking her head, "Fine, I'll start. It's customary for you to do the introductions though, jeeze."_

"_Hi Shin!" Ino beamed suddenly , "I'm Ino. Ino Yamanaka, one of Sai's friends. I've heard a little about you, and I know Sai doesn't visit often but I promise you I'll make sure he does from now on!" _

"_You will, won't you?" Ino turned towards Sai._

"_Uh..."Sai looked at her as she nodded, he felt the corners of his mouth pick up as he turned look back at the spot she had marked out, the answer came to him without another thought,"I promise." _

"_What was he like?" Ino asked as she started arranging some small rocks in a circular pattern around the kunai._

"_Shin? He was…easily distracted …and sometimes a little brash and loud." Sai found himself grinning, "…he was kind of like Naruto really."_

_Ino giggled as she shook her head, "Yeah I made that connection too."_

"_He liked looking at my drawings." Sai continued as he passed Ino some more stones, "It was hard for me to talk to others in Root, everyone was a lot older than me and I was new… I didn't really know how to approach anyone…usually after training I'd sit by myself…but Shin…he'd always go out of his way to be nice to me..he.. was the first person who showed me kindness." _

_His voice faltered off when Ino brushed the back of her fingers on his cheek, "He seems like a wonderful person."_

"_He was." He answered, it was only when he blinked did he realize that he had been crying._

_She brushed her fingers against his other cheek, wiping the tear streaks. _

"_You know what we should do?" Ino suddenly piped up, the fire back in her eyes._

_She didn't even give Sai the chance to attempt to answer, "Let's plant something here, it'd look way nicer than some old kunai and a bunch of rocks!" _

"_Like..flowers?" Sai looked at the spot, "I think he'd like that very much. I wonder what we should plant though… you mentioned that flowers have meanings. I'd like to learn a bit more before I choose…I want it to be something…meaningful." _

"_You remembered the times we talked about the language of flowers?" Ino's face lit up as she considered his words, flowers really did bring out the best in her, "Well I've told you before that carnations are a popular choice, the pink ones mean remembrance- but urgh I don't know if the soil here is right for carnations. I guess I could make it work with some proper potting- OH waittt –We could go for Woodbine, that's for brotherly love- ok maybe that's coming on a little strong hahah, perhaps we can just plant some yellow roses for friendship…gah what do you think?" _

_Sai scratched the back of his head, "That's…a lot to take in." _

_Ino giggled, "Sorry, I was ranting wasn't I? You don't have to choose right away, I'm glad you're putting thought into this." _

_Sai smiled at her sheepishly, "There's so many options, I just want to pick the right ones."_

"_Welcome to the life of a florist." Ino grinned as she got up, "Come on, it's getting late- let's get you back to the hospital for now-_

Sai smiled as thought back fondly. He put the picture book down and he opened a drawer to his right to take out another book. Flipping open a few pages, he turned to one with a dried pressed sunflower, next to it he had written down its meaning in a neat hand: Longevity, Vitality, Warmth. He smiled, this was his newest addition, Ino had given him sunflowers yesterday- he was delighted when he learnt of its symbolism and context; it seemed like the perfect flower to present to Naruto. He would keep that in mind next time he was picking up a present for his favorite team mate.

He put the book of flowers back into his drawer and felt excited about the prospect of updating it when Ino came to see him again. He felt his mouth curve into a smile at the thought.

While it was true he hated this whole "rest"- more like house arrest- thing Shikamaru had talked the Hokage into sanctioning for him; he actually had to admit he rather enjoyed Ino's routine visits. She had made it a point to make sure he was eating right and taking care of himself even though he'd been released from her care in the hospital. Watching her fuss and fret over him gave him an odd sense of pleasure and a warmth in his chest he didn't quite know how to describe.

Sometimes she'd spend the entire day with him, he liked those days most of all. They would go visit Shin and talk for hours in the clearing. He still hadn't decided what flowers he wanted, so they'd toy around with the rocks and twigs, making little forts and intricate formations around the spot she had embedded the kunai.

Ino was terrible at making forts, something he discovered early on, while she had a good eye for design- it was more often than not they'd find her formations scattered by the wind and rain the next day. No matter how many times Sai tell her how to build a structurally sound formation, she refused to listen- she was a stubborn woman, whenever he'd try to correct her often she'd frown at him and puff her cheeks till he gave in. She was impossible to reason with when she was like that, and for some reason though he was sure he ought to feel annoyed- he found it rather amusing.

The other day Hinata had dropped by along with her team to check up on him. Sai always liked Hinata, she went out of her way to be kind and he really appreciated how genuinely sincere she sounded in her concern for his health, he was on fairly good terms with her team mate Shino as well , Kiba on the other hand….

Perhaps it was not the best idea to greet the dog-nin by making a passing comment on his sub par genitals but the words had left Sai's mouth before he could stop himself.

The brawl that followed was the only source of combat practice Sai had had since his return from Silence- so to be fair he had no regrets.

It was finally broken up when Shino released his kikaichu and Hinata actually raised her voice- the latter something Sai had assumed was beyond the realm of possible.

Needless to say things were less than friendly between him and the dog-nin. Not that it bothered Sai but Shikamaru had taken it upon himself to smooth things over, so he found himself being talked into a "boy's night out". He had never been to one before and spent majority of the day reading up on it- apparently it involved drinking alcohol and talking about women.

So as per the book's instructions, Sai had naturally tried to do both. Perhaps it was not the best move, it seemed he had somehow ended up offending Shikamaru by saying that Temari had strong hips and would likely bear healthy children. He was sure it was a compliment but at any rate, Shikamaru had cut him off from drinking any more for the rest of the night- Kiba on the other hand roared with laughter, it seemed the alcohol had helped him forget his animosity towards the former Root momentarily. The dog nin took no time getting drunk and within minutes had admitted to have taken an interest in some woman named Tamaki, he wasn't sure why but this tit bit of information seemed to make Kiba a lot less annoying to him.

As the night drew to a close one conversation in particular stuck in his mind.

_Shikamaru sipped his drink slowly, while Kiba downed his in one shot again, Shino passed his drink which Kiba promptly downed as well. Sai quite enjoyed his own drink too, although for some reason a lot of people kept looking over at him, including initially the three men he was sitting with. Perhaps they noticed that he had parted his hair on the other side today, how observant of them! At any rate he was a having a good time, he sipped his pink drink cheerily, the small umbrella garnish bumping ever so slightly on his nose._

"_So whose you pick eh? Come on it's juss us boys here." Kiba downed another shot of sake as he wheedled Shino, "We all know Shikamaru's got the hots for that sand chick so that juss leaves you."_

_Shino adjusted his shades before sipping his drink slowly, "I've already told you a thousand times Kiba, I'm not really interested in anyone like that right now." _

_Kiba squinted his eyes, "So yous juss not gonna tell me.. after everything we've been through.." He turned towards Shikamaru and downed another shot of sake,"Man, can you believe this guy?!" _

_Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his temples, "Troublesome. Kiba, I think we should call it a night…" _

_Sai watched Kiba brush off Shikamaru's comment and order more drinks for the table- _

"_You haf to like somebody, juss spit it out alrerry!" Kiba slurred at Shino again, Shikamaru simply shook his head and leaned back in his chair. _

"_For the last time, I don't think of anyone in that way.." Shino seemed exasperated at this point. _

"_Caaaamon, even this guy here wannsa nail Ino and…" Kiba gestured at Sai. In his inebriated state his voice was several times higher than normal, many people at the drinking house turned their heads at his exclamation. _

_Shikamaru fell into a fit of violent coughing as seemed to choke on his drink._

_Sai himself, stopped mid-sip and cocked his head to a side, "What is that supposed to mean?" _

"_No offenz man, but we all sorta guessed you swung the other way." Kiba put his drink down and grinned. _

_Sai furrowed his brows, "Are we talking about construction now? I'm not sure what you mean by nails and swinging… I assure you I know which way to swing a hammer if that is what you're implying." _

"…_That's not what he meant Sai.." Shikamaru muttered as he recovered._

"_Oh..what did he mean then?" Sai furrowed his brows again. _

"…_." Shikamaru opened and closed his mouth several times before running a hand through his hair, muttering "how troublesome" under his breath. _

"_He means you want to have sexual intercourse with Ino." Shino answered bluntly without presumably batting an eye- it was hard to tell with his dark shades. _

_Sai felt all the blood rush to his face, a strange jittery feeling started to manifest steadily, he opened his mouth to answer but Shikamaru cut in before he could get a word out._

"_Urgh. You don't have to answer that Sai." Shikamaru interjected quickly._

"_Tch come awnnn, they're always together these days, erryone's noticed." Kiba slapped Shikmaru on the back, "She can be predy annoyin' but I'll admit it pal…" Kiba gave a low whistle, "she's a hot piece of ass." Kiba's voice almost carried over the whole room._

_Shikamaru stood up pinching the bridge of his nose, "Ok alright, I think it about time we go home."_

_Shino too seemed to share his sentiment, as he grabbed Kiba by the arm and pulled him up, "Unless we want Ino to turn us into vegetables, that seems to be the best course of action." _

_As Sai followed them out, he couldn't help himself, turning to Kiba he asked, "I'm still not sure what the temperature of Ino's bottom has to do with anything…"_

_Kiba howled with laughter, clapping Sai heartily on the back as the laughs finally evened out he said, "You're not half bad you know, we should do this more often."_

"_I have to admit this has been far more enjoyable than what I expected." Shino concurred with a nod. _

_Shikamaru muttered, "Troublesome" but smiled all the same. _

_Sai felt a smile start to form on his face too, and for once it reached his eyes. _

A sharp knock on his door brought Sai out of his thoughts. The room was brighter than he remembered; he realized the sun was already up- and had been for long he could not tell. He stood up from his desk and stretched the bones in his neck and shoulders gave a satisfying crack.

Stifling a yawn, he made his way towards his front door. The knocking was growing more insistent. He wondered faintly who it was? Perhaps it was Captain Yamato back from his mission and here to share the stories with him, it could be Shikamaru, or even Hinata, Kiba or Shino checking up on him. It could be Kakashi Sensei- although chances were slim since he seemed to have little time to himself these days. It could be…Ino, it could more than just possibly be Ino, that thought made his face a little red. He shook his head and took a deep breath, unsure why his lips were curving into a smile. There was a time when the only visits he ever got were summons from Anbu/Root. Of all the ways to have started a new day, this one was not half bad.

* * *

XX

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**I'll answer all the reviews in the next chapter, really want to put this up right now you've all been crazy patient and I feel terrible to have delayed the update for so long. My ideas were a little scattered here I know, I hope I didn't mess it up too bad- writing Sai is super hard for me. Please let me know your thoughts and comments via a review- they make my day. Favs and follows are appreciated too haha I hope you enjoyed it, thank you for reading xoxo**


	29. Chapter 29- Moonflower

**Disclaimer: I am Ino-trash. I own nothing.**

* * *

"Wait… so let me get this straight… you chickened out? YOU? You, **Ino **Yamanaka ran away from a boy you like?" Sakura raised a brow as she leaned over the counter of The Yamanaka Flower Shop.

"Urgh, pipe down Forehead! I should never have told you!" Ino hissed as she quickly darted her eyes around the shop, "Look, it's not like I was scared …it's just..."

"Just what?" Sakura asked out of genuine curiosity.

"His first kiss shouldn't be one sided." Ino bit her lip, "Trust me, I should know."

The incognito seduction missions. Of course.

"Ino…" Sakura's voice trailed off, "I'm … sorry."

Ino gave a hollow laugh and teased, "You wouldn't be if you knew I was saving my first kiss for Sasuke."

"..Pig..."Sakura tried to follow her lead, but it was hard not to let the sympathy creep in.

It was silly to let it get to her now, she was sure she had come to terms with it years ago- but it didn't stop the little girl inside her from lamenting every now and then.

Your first kiss- it was supposed to be something magical- right?

When she was a kid she never imagined she'd have to use it for a tactical move to lull a target into a false sense of security, but the real world was no fairy tale, you don't always get to kiss the knight in shining armor…

It wasn't like she was a victim, she knew what she was getting into. She had a choice, she- like many of her friends- could have chosen to opt out of such missions.

Kurenai Sensei had warned her, unlike the other feats of a shinobi, there would be no songs or stories glorifying what she did, no this was the part of being a kunoichi people liked to sweep under the rug. At any rate she always had either Shikamaru or Choji to step in if things escalated- not everyone was that lucky.

Asuma Sensei never swept it under the rug though, never once treated her covert seduction missions as something she should be ashamed of- he always said it was just another skill set to add to her repertoire, and a very important one at that.

It would save lives.

"_To be able to infiltrate the enemy territory, glean information and walk out without any blood-shed, that's something probably even I couldn't do Ino." Asuma Sarutobi took a long drag from his cigarette, "Beauty is a dangerous weapon. A beautiful rose can make you forget about the thorns until it's too late." _

"We are shinobi, so we must endure." Ino squared her shoulders and smiled, "We all do our bits for the village, some just lesser known than others."

Sakura nodded and opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by a sharp jingle of the bell that announced the arrival of a potential customer.

* * *

XXX

* * *

Hisao Hyuuga bowed deeply in greeting despite protests from both the Yamanaka heiress and her pink haired friend, "Good morning, I'm sorry to interrupt again, I didn't know you had company Miss Ino."

"It's a _shop_ Hyuuga. People come, people go." Ino teased as Sakura swatted her arm.

Hisao turned pink and coughed, "Uh yes ofcourse, sorry...I…that was a stupid thing to say."

Ino giggled, "You don't need to apologize. Stop being so uptight, I've been expecting you actually."

"Y-you were waiting for m-me?" Hisao turned pinker still.

"Well, you have been showing up like clockwork this past week." Ino grinned.

"Oh, I- Sorry if I've been a bother." His face fell.

_Oh jeeze, he looks like a kicked puppy; _Ino mused.

"Ino's just teasing." Sakura offered kindly.

The Hyuuga though visibly relieved gave a soft chuckle, "Well Miss Ino seems to enjoy doing that quite a bit."

"Can you blame me?" Ino grinned, "You make a surprisingly easy target for someone with the Byakugan."

"Unfortunately my bloodline limit seems to be futile against your verbal attacks Miss."Hisao gave a sigh and raised his hands in mock surrender.

Ino gasped.

Both his hands were covered in bandages rather than their usual wrapping. Sakura too must have noticed the same thing since she stepped forward and grabbed his wrist.

"Woah, what happened here? Have you seen a doctor?" The medic in her kicking in before she could stop herself.

Hisao pulled back his arm with a jerk and frowned, "I'm fine Miss Haruno. It..was a…training incident. I have it under control."

His velvet smooth voice went ice-cold and stoic, shocking both women.

Sakura winced, Ino on the other hand was fuming.

"Like hell you do." Ino hissed, annoyed that he would snap at her best friend just for being nice, "Sakura's just trying to help, stop being such a jerk and let her have a look- even I can tell those bandages are sloppy, who'd you have do them? A 4 year old?"

"I did them myself…" Hisao mumbled in protest.

"Tch. Let the pro have a look." Ino gestured towards Sakura.

"Look, I'm not trying to pry or anything- but I can properly assess the injury if you let me." Sakura said her voice taking on the medic-mode, "Plus Ino's right about the bandages- Even minimally tight elastic dressings applied as part of a circumferential bandage may lead to progressive swelling, aggravating all of the ill effects of swelling on the injured hand."

"There is no need, like I said- I don't need help, I shall manage."Hisao replied in a clipped tone.

"Are you a child? Did you hear what she said?" Ino slammed her hand on the counter, "Seriously, do you want to be in more pain?"

"Perhaps.. I deserve it." Hisao mumbled softly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"Unwrap those bandages." Ino's voice was like a commandment.

Hisao did not take his eyes off her as he peeled back the binds, he did not even wince as the caked dry blood pulled at his skin as the soiled bandages pooled at his feet.

"What in the world did you do?" Sakura hissed as she rushed forward to evaluate the damage closer.

"Gentle Fist, is not so much gentle on the hands." Hisao answered vaguely, "Not very nice to look at is it?"

"Why would you do this to yourself?" Ino shook her head and stepped out from behind the counter.

"I…had a lot on my mind." He answered as Sakura prodded his palm.

"Well, there's no lasting damage- but it'll take a while to fully heal." The pink haired medic concluded, "You need to be on anti-biotics though, I'll write up a prescription… first though I'll need to wrap them up _properly_\- Ino you still have a kit in the storage room right?"

"Yeah, second shelf." Ino nodded.

"Great, just give me minute then." Sakura got up and disappeared through the door behind the counter.

Ino watched Hisao slump down on a chair and gingerly flex his fingers, he seemed oddly distant.

She tried to engage him in small talk and for once he didn't actually seem too eager to reply. In fact he seemed to be averting his eyes from even looking in her direction.

"You two didn't have to do this, you know." Hisao spoke suddenly, "I do not deserve your kindness."

"What's with you today?" Ino sighed, "You're being weird."

"I did something… I am not proud of yesterday." He avoided meeting her gaze.

"Do you…want to talk about it? It's clearly eating at you." Ino asked softly, "Let me help, please."

"I just don't know why you're doing this… it's not your problem."

"Urgh you're hurt, it only natural to want to help." The blonde grimaced, what was with this guy?

"It doesn't matter if I'm hurt-"

_Sai's face flashed in her mind, hurt and confused._

"_Why would it matter?"_

"_But unlike them I am not a normal Konoha Shinobi. I am a member of Root. If I die it would be like I never existed, there are no names on the memorial for us. No one cries for members of Root. We have no one. We are no one."_

"It matters to me!" Ino cut him off.

Hisao turned to face her so fast his hair whipped across his face. His pale eyes wide, mouth slightly ajar in disbelief, "Y-You can't possibly mean that."

"…Hisao, what has the world done to you?" Ino muttered as she sat down next to him, "You know you're starting to remind me of a friend of mine."

"Is that right?" Hisao clenched his fists and gave a hollow chuckle, "You are kind Ino Yamanaka, but you shouldn't give me hope if you're only going to take it away."

"..I-" Ino tried to search for the right words.

"-should be more careful." Hisao finished for her, "Hope is a strange thing, especially false hope. It can drive people to do things…one would say..is out of character."

A charged silence stretched between them.

"I can't just sit by… I'm sorry if you feel like I'm leading you on…but if you need help I'm not just going to ignore it!" Ino fixed him with pointed stare.

Where the hell was Sakura? It felt like she was gone for ages!

"I wasn't just talking about me." Suddenly Hisao stood up, changing the subject he walked over to the counter "I suppose I should pick my flowers already."

He reached for a neat basket of white flowers with closed petals.

"My mother used to grow these." He touched the petals, "Moonflowers."

"Actually I picked those-"

"-for your friend." He finished for her again.

Ino nodded mutely, the atmosphere turned awkward again.

Hisao looked pointedly at his feet as if debating some internal monologue, then looked up suddenly with fierce determination, "I don't think you should keep seeing him."

An uncomfortable feeling started to bubble in her chest.

"What?" Ino frowned, "Now you listen here, what the hell's gotten into you?!"

"You can't save everyone, Miss Ino." He answered coldly.

He was talking about Sai.

She knew he was talking about Sai.

What gave him the right to make assumptions?

How dare he?!

She was about to deliver a scathing reply when the backdoor finally opened and Sakura entered with a large metal box.

Something about the look in Hisao's eyes scared her.

She wanted to see Sai.

No, she needed to see him.

Blissfully unaware Sakura made herself busy taking out various ointments, "Jeeze Ino, you really need to clean up your storage room- you wouldn't believe all the junk I had to root through- I think a trip to the pharmacy would have been less work-"

"I need to step out, take care of..this." Ino interrupted Sakura mid sentence, grabbed the basket of moonflowers and shoved past Hisao without sparing him another glance.

The door slammed loudly and Sakura could only stare between the suddenly tight jawed Hyuuga and the retreating back of her best friend.

* * *

XXX

* * *

Ino rushed as fast as her legs would carry her to Sai's front door.

Breathless she knocked once, twice, a third time.

No answer.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, she focused as much as her mind would allow to try and pick out his chakra signature.

Sai was no longer in the village.

The uncomfortable feeling inside her chest magnified.

* * *

XXX

* * *

"What the hell happened here?" Sakura asked dumbfounded as she started wrapping fresh bandages on Hisao's arms.

"Do you think it is important to protect those you love?" Hisao turned towards her solemnly ignoring her question.

"Ofcourse, always!" Sakura replied with frown.

"Miss Haruno, do you know how the moon works?" Hisao asked but somehow it felt rhetoric.

"Uh..yeah I guess." She answered unsure of what he was getting at.

"It steals the light from the sun." Hisao narrowed his eyes, "…like a parasite."

* * *

**X**

* * *

**Better late than never right? (Hides)  
Sorry, like genuinely I am sorry to keep everyone waiting this long and that too for so short a chapter.**

**I kind of don't like how this chapter turned out, but I couldn't bear taking any more time to fine tune it- please let me know what you think okay? No really, tell me what you think! I'm dying to know! **

**Reviews fuel my writing, and being the insecure mess that I am all the love really helped encourage me to put more of my work up for public scrutiny haha really though Thank you everyone! I loved reading all the reviews and will reply to all of them hopefully in the next chapter. Much love xoxo**


	30. Chapter 30- (Interlude: Sai) Shatter

**A/N:**

Guess whose back? Back again?

**haha**

**I honestly have no excuse other than severe writer's block. I do love this story and promise to finish it, but I can't promise when. Extremely sorry to keep everyone waiting. I feel I should mention I re-wrote this multiple times, even now Im not really happy with it- but I feel I owe it to everyone who spent their precious time to read The Bush Clover to finally update. As usual please let me know what you think in the reviews, if you have any feedback on my writing I'm always open to suggestions (just try not to be too cruel haha)**

**** Important to note: You will need to read Chap 27 to relate to this, Sai POV of the same timeline*** **

* * *

The alien sound left his lips before he could even think about it. His body shook as it took over, eyes squeezing shut on their own.

He was laughing?

It was nothing like his attempts before, nothing like the "haha" the books talked about.

He had obviously been amused before, with a team mate like Naruto- his life was not exactly lacking in its comedic moments.

But this laughter was different, it wasn't a sound expressing his finding a situation funny (or stupid- that happened a lot as well) those laughs as genuine as they were, were nothing like the feeling taking over him now.

It felt as though for a fleeting minute nothing else mattered, there was no way to describe it other than the fact that it felt ridiculously good.

Just when he thought the feeling would wind down, she joined him.

Hers was a laugh made to be heard. Bright and cheerful, like dandelions blowing in the wind.

He watched amidst his own laugh as the corners of her eyes crinkled prettily. His arms wrapping around her without so much as a second thought.

Her face was flushed as she leaned her forehead against his in an attempt to catch her breath.

She was so close he could count each individual eyelash framing her blue-green eyes.

That's when it suddenly dawned on him- that they were alone, in his room, in his bed…and close enough for him to – he swallowed hard then- count her lashes.

Then there was no turning back after that- it was all that he could think of: Her.

Her pink lips, parted, panting softly.

Her body flush atop his, the soft curves pressing into his lean frame.

Her waterfall of golden hair that fell like a curtain on either side of his face.

Her faint scent of flowers and something that he could only describe as Ino invading his senses.

The previous feeling faded in an instant to the rising tide of a far more aggressive one, this feeling coursed through his veins and made his entire being thrum like the strings of an instrument too tightly wound. His heart hammered against his chest, so loud he was sure she could hear him.

The shift in the atmosphere was immediate.

She seemed aware of it too now, her eyes darkening and face flushing in a way that made heat pool to the pit of his stomach.

He found himself staring at her lips, fighting the urge to .. to… to what exactly?

He wanted her.

The thought frightened him.

He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in his entire life.

His breath hitched as she inched closer, the fraction of space between their lips felt electric.

He tore his eyes away from her lips in an effort to hold himself sane, only to get transfixed by her eyes.

At that moment something hit his window with a sharp tap, jostled he felt her shift against him. Her thigh brushing against him in a way that took every ounce of his will power not to brush back.

She almost immediately sprang up, "I'm so sorry!"

_Sorry?_

Of course. He had made her uncomfortable. Anyone would be uncomfortable after _that_.

The sudden loss of her warmth and nearness was causing his brain cells to start functioning again.

He felt a cold wave sweep over him, trying and failing to think of anything that might diffuse the situation.

She was already scrambling away from him.

She was leaving.

His mind was flickering past every minute he had shared with her.

He had scared her and now she was leaving.

Desperation clawed at him.

He felt ashamed of his own bodily reactions.

"W-wait. Beauty I-I…" He started to get up.

He would explain to her, would tell her that it was some stupid biological reaction- that's all it was he told himself again. Somehow even in his head he didn't sound convinced.

"No don't get up!" She shook her head frantically, "It's fine, you don't have to explain anything. I left dinner downstairs, I should get going. See you tomorrow. Kay."

She left without even waiting for a response, leaving him to stew in his own self loathing.

* * *

XX

Sai slumped back into his bed and sighed as he used his arm to cover his face.

Over the past few months Ino had become an increasingly important person to him, a rare someone he could be himself around other than his team mates- and now he'd gone and ruined everything.

He swung his arm away from his face and against the concrete wall. The resulting thud coinciding with the sound of his front door slamming shut as a certain blonde rushed out of his premises.

He dragged himself to his window, even though he was sure she had already long disappeared from sight.

"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." He muttered under his breath and tapped his forehead repeatedly against the cool glass.

That's when he noticed the pine cone on his window sill.

* * *

XX

He went completely still for half a beat.

Years of training kicked in, over-riding his mind's urge to fixate on the situation that had transpired between him and Ino.

His eyes darted to the nearest pine tree, a good 30 meters away.

He should have picked up on this.

Hell, if Danzo saw this he'd be rolling in his grave.

Sai mentally kicked himself, his tanto and paints were no-where within reach. He used one hand to open his window, while using the other to reach discreetly for a kunai he kept on his side table.

Not ideal but it would have to suffice.

"I know you're still there." Sai spoke into the stillness of the night, before leaping down to the curb below.

"You're not as perceptive as the word on the street", a tall man landed to Sai's right, "I assumed you'd notice me a lot earlier…Root."

The last word seemed to be thrown at Sai like an insult, or at least that's what he could gather from the tone.

The man was dressed in all white- a poor choice for someone sneaking about at night in Sai's personal opinion but that was none of his business- and more curiously he wore a mask without any slits for the eyes- again not very practical but who was he to judge.

"Anbu? I wasn't aware the Hokage had me under surveillance.." Sai thought out aloud ignoring the Anbu's opening statement almost completely.

"He doesn't." The reply was cold and curt, the turning swiftly he lunged at Sai, "However, that doesn't mean you can just do whatever the hell you want!"

Sai blinked, barely side stepping in time to avoid impact, "I..donot follow. What are you talking about?"

"I saw you with _her_." The Anbu's voice had an edge to it as he prepared to strike again.

"Her..?" Sai frowned clearly confused.

"Don't act dumb. Miss Yamanaka, what did you plan on doing to her?!" The Anbu rounded him.

_Miss Beauty?_

Sai felt his face color, "I.." his voice trailed off unable to really quite answer that question in all honesty.

"Disgraceful. What kind of man takes advantage of a woman like that?" The Anbu continued, lunging again this time faster, punctuating his words with strikes "It must be. What you've been. Plotting all along. Luring her here. Day after day. until she let her guard down."

_Advantage? Plotting? _

Sai opened his mouth to retort but was cut off when he was forced to block another strike.

"Using people like objects…I suppose that's to be expected from Danzo's lap dog" The Anbu hissed.

"_I don't want to be practice for your social skills, Sai."_

Her words resonated in his head as if on cue.

"I'm not using her!"

Sai snarled and struck back. His anger shocking even himself.

The sudden shift to offense caught the Anbu by surprise and knocked his mask clean off.

Dark eyes met pale ones.

Hyuuga.

The Anbu leapt back to put more space between him and Sai.

He rubbed his jaw gingerly where Sai's strike had landed, "Oh so you _can_ fight? Good, then I won't have to hold back anymore!"

* * *

XX

Sai winced, his chakra network gone to shit as a result of the gentle fist.

The Hyuuga Anbu seemed depleted as well, both arms bleeding and covered in bruises.

They both fell to the ground panting in unison.

"Well that didn't go according to plan." The Hyuuga chuckled darkly.

"Ah did the plan involve me dying?" Sai asked genuinely curious despite his vision already blurring.

"Not at the start at least." His breathing was labored, "I didn't expect to see the two of you like that and it…well…"

"Miss Beau- Ino you mean?" Sai turned his head so he could face who he was talking to.

"I've been watching her, for a while now… she is..so kind .. she's one of those women … with a penchant for the broken and the damned… I see how she dotes on you…devoting all her time to _fixing_ you…thinking that maybe if it's her you'll change.." He snorted, "and I know your type too. Men like you, you suck the life out of strong women until they're nothing but a hollow shell of their former selves."

Sai was suddenly hit with a wave of de ja vu, he remembered the conversations he had with Sakura when Naruto was in love with her- how he'd watch her waste away prioritizing Sasuke Uchiha.

Was this karma?

Was he now doing to Ino what he vehemently condemned Sasuke for doing to Sakura when he had turned?

That didn't make any sense.

Ino wasn't in love with him.

Ino couldn't possibly be in love with _him._

"_Be honest Sai.. do you love me?"_

Their altercation in Suna flashed in his mind.

His stomach clenched.

"I would never hurt Ino." Sai blurted, whether to his former attacker or to himself…he wasn't really sure, "She is..precious to me…a friend."

"You try to bed all of your precious friends then?" The Hyuuga gave a sardonic laugh.

Sai felt his stomach clench uncomfortably again, "That is… I…"

"Do you even know what it means to feel for someone?" He asked, "Do know what it's like to think of someone more times than you can count? To want nothing more than to be by their side? To have a million things to say but losing any and all ability to speak because when she looks at you- you forget even to breathe?"

"I've read-" Sai started to speak but was silenced by the scathing look thrown at him.

"You think you can know a person's feelings by simply memorizing some lines off of a psychology book?" The Hyuuga dragged himself to a sitting position fueled by his anger.

Sai felt as though someone had slapped him. The words unhinging his deep rooted insecurities.

"If she truly is special to you- you'd want her to be happy." He continued.

Ino's laugh flashed in his head.

"I want her to be happy." Sai spoke in earnest.

"Then you should stay away from her. No good will ever come from her getting attached to you." The Hyuuga was now standing, practically towering over Sai's fallen form.

"Right now she's too blinded by the thoughts of saving you to even think of herself. The future of her noble clan rests on her shoulders, she is the Yamanaka Heiress. It is best you realize that the two of you are from different worlds to begin with. I could offer her the status, comforts and the pedigree of the Hyuuga blood line… You on the other hand have nothing to offer her, not even a last name."

That was when Sai felt his resolve completely shatter.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Yes yes over dramatic I know. I can't help it I've been watching a lot of trash on TV :P **

**Please take the time to leave a review, they're what drove me to continue writing and mean the world to me. **

**Thank you again for reading! I shall update this later with replies to all the reviews ASAP xoxo Love you all for bearing with my procrastinating ass.**


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